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Writer's picturePerception Design

How to Pass The EWA Thermal Insulation Implementation Interview

Updated: Mar 15, 2023

The definitive guide to being an authorized thermal insulation implementation engineer.


Part 1


I. Introduction


Thermal insulation is a fundamental aspect of building design that is essential for ensuring the comfort, safety, and efficiency of modern structures. By restricting the flow of heat through walls, roofs, and other components, proper thermal insulation can significantly reduce energy consumption, lower utility costs, and improve the overall lifespan of a building.


In Bahrain, thermal insulation implementation is overseen by the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), which sets up the regulations and standards for engineers and engineering offices to follow. To obtain authorization to practice, engineers are required to pass an interview that assesses their knowledge of thermal insulation implementation. In Bahrain, the engineering offices are responsible for applying for and obtaining the building permits.


One essential part of a building permit application is the thermal insulation calculations. In this part you calculate the U-Values for all the components that are subject to the external elements in your project such as walls, roofs, floors/ceilings, glass, etc. But not every engineering office has a license to implement thermal insulation.


How to obtain a licence:


  • In order to obtain a license, two engineers volunteer as tribute from an engineering office (they’re mostly architects actually) and they will be the chosen ones to pass the interview.

  • Once they pass, EWA will award the office with the certificate to implement thermal insulation. The authorized engineers are responsible for filling the forms and following the implementation procedures on site.


Any architect employed in an engineering office (licensed by CRPEP) is eligible for the interview (don’t just walk up to EWA and request for an interview though, they’ll think you’re a random hobo and call the police). It is better to be someone familiar with thermal insulation and the procedures, because memorizing can be hard as rocks. Nevertheless, it is doable without being familiar (by reading this guide of course).


The steps are:


  1. The engineering office will send a request to EWA via email.

  2. EWA will respond by telling the office that they need two engineers to complete the interview before issuing the certificate to the office.

  3. The office responds with the details of the two engineers along with completed Thermal Insulation Implementation forms for any project that they filled themselves (it can be any project and it can be as an exercise if they never actually completed one before).


 

Is the certificate mandatory?


It is not an actual requirement for an engineering office to have this certificate, but any office without it has to get the help of an office that has the license and have to get their stamp on their application and forms which is a tedious task. Also, don’t worry if you don’t pass the interview in your first try you can try again. And as far as we know, you can repeat the process until they get tired of you, or your office decides you’re useless and they fire you.


What does this article guide provide?


This article provides a comprehensive guide for engineers seeking EWA authorization and an overview of the local standards for thermal insulation implementation. The guide covers:


  • the requirements for the EWA's thermal insulation implementation interview,

  • the procedures for product approval,

  • the necessary forms, and

  • the local standards for thermal insulation in buildings.


Additionally, we highlight common violations and omissions in thermal insulation implementation and provide guidance on how to pass the interview. By the end of this guide, readers will have a thorough understanding of the local standards for thermal insulation implementation in Bahrain and be well-prepared to successfully complete the EWA's thermal insulation implementation interview.


 

The first thing we’ll talk about to warm up are the definitions:

  • U-Value (Overall Thermal Transmittance)/U-Factor (Overall Coefficient of Heat Transfer): It is expressed as W/(m2.°K), and it represents the overall rate of heat transfer through a section (wall or roof) per unit area and per unit temperature difference.

  • The U-value is the reciprocal of RT (the overall thermal resistance) (1/RT).

  • RT (Overall Thermal Resistance): It is calculated with this formula: RT = (Ro+Ri+R1+R2+..........+Rn) and it represents the total thermal resistance of all material layers that make up the wall or roof section, including the thermal resistance of the exterior and interior air films in (h.ft2. °F)/Btu or (m2. °K)/W.

  • The thermal resistance of the outer air film is defined as Ro, while the thermal resistance of the inner air film is defined as Ri. The table below provides these values (These standard values):


This image shows a table with the standard thermal values  for the air layer adjacent to materials
The thermal values for the layer of air adjacent to the material surfaces

  • The thermal resistance R of a material is measured in (m2-°C/W) and refers to the resistance to heat flow through a unit area of homogeneous material when there is a unit temperature difference between two surfaces.

  • A material's thermal resistance R can be calculated by multiplying the thickness of the material by the material’s thermal resistivity, or by dividing the thickness of the material by its thermal conductivity (t/k).

  • Thermal Conductivity k: It is the material's ability to conduct heat across a unit temperature gradient through its unit thickness and unit area. The density, porosity, water content, and specific heat of the material all affect thermal conductivity. W/mC is the unit of measurement.

  • Thermal Resistivity r: The material's thermal resistivity is equal to the reciprocal of its thermal conductivity (1/k). When there is a unit temperature difference between the two surfaces, it is the resistance to heat flow through a unit thickness. The measurement is made in mC/W.

  • Cavity Thermal Resistance Rc: This term refers to the air's resistance to heat flow in a cavity. It depends on the cavity's thickness and the qualities of the two surfaces that surround it. The thermal resistance of a cavity could be calculated using the following numbers: For a cavity that is thicker than 5 mm, RC = 0.11 m2, °C/W. (up to 20 mm). RC = 0.18 m2 for a cavity thicker than 20 mm at 20 °C per watt.


 

II. The Ministerial Orders


1. Thermal Insulation Order # 8/1999:


All buildings in the Kingdom of Bahrain with five floors or more that require air conditioning must now have thermal insulation, according to a 1999 decree from H.E. the Minister of Housing and Municipality. The following conditions are listed in the following order:


A. All buildings requiring air conditioning should use thermal insulation materials for their walls and roofs, per the following guidelines:

  • The roof's overall thermal transmittance value (U-value) shouldn't be higher than 0.6 W/m2-oC.

  • External walls should not have a thermal transmittance value (U-value) that is greater than 0.75 W/m2-oC overall.

  • All buildings with more than three floors or where the area of the glazed surfaces is between 10% and 20% of the total external surface area of the building envelope should use high-performance glass. On the other hand, double glazing should be used if the glazed area is greater than 20%.

B. This rule is applicable to all newly constructed buildings that require air conditioning as well as to newly constructed or renovated existing buildings. The decree has been put into effect for buildings with more than four floors.


2. Thermal Insulation Order # 63/2012:


It was issued in 2012 by H.E. the Minister of Housing and Municipality, and it mandates that all residences, facilities, warehouses, and shops that require cooling or air conditioning be equipped with thermal insulation. As a result, thermal insulation is now necessary for all structures under five stories that were not covered by the previous thermal insulation order (8/1999).

The requirements for thermal insulation under this order, which took effect on September 1, 2013, are as follows:

A. Thermal insulation shall be provided for all external walls, including exposed columns, beams, stairways, and light wells or shafts. External walls abutting the adjoining building(s), if present, must also be insulated. B. Thermal insulation shall be provided for the roof, including swimming pool decks, stairways, and lift machine rooms. C. Floors and walls of air-conditioned spaces exposed to non-air-conditioned spaces like car parks or service areas in the building must be insulated. D. Spandrel areas of curtain walls must be insulated.


3. Thermal Insulation Order # 149/2018 (This is the current order):


H.E. the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs, and Urban Planning issued it on October 31st, 2018. On November 1st, 2018, it was published in the official Gazette. The order becomes enforceable on March 1, 2019. The information below summarizes the key points of the technical regulation that is attached to the order.

  • Maximum U-values of the walls and roofs


Thermal Insulation

Max. U-Value

Roofs

0.3

Walls

0.57


  • Values for glass surfaces:


Glass Area

Max. U-Value W/(m2.°C)

Max. Shading Coefficient

Min. Light Transmission

Glass Percentage ≤ 40%

2.1

0.4

0.25

Glass Percentage > 40%

1.9

0.3

0.2

Skylights & Roof Openings

1.9

0.25

0.1

Shopfronts & Showrooms

1.9

0.76

-


  • Additionally, insulation is required for all exterior-facing surfaces, balconies, and facades. The elimination of thermal bridges in walls, roofs, windows, and doors should be achieved with the utmost care.

  • Roofs must be coated or prepared to reflect sunlight, thus converting them to a "cool roof" type. Thermal emittance and solar reflectance should both be greater than 0.65 and 0.75, respectively. Photovoltaic-panel-equipped roofs might be exempt from this requirement.


What are the specification and properties of thermal insulation materials?


  • They must be approved by the Bahraini Electricity and Water Authority in accordance with EWA guidelines and requirements.

  • Thermal insulation materials must be flame-retardant and non-toxic when ignited. Additionally, they must adhere to the requirements and recommendations of the General Directorate of Civil Defense.

  • According to the approved and accredited test reports, data issued and approved by the Electricity and Water Authority should be used to determine the U-value for insulation materials used in external walls and roofs. The Electricity and Water Authority is authorized to visit locations and collect samples to verify data.


What are the guidelines and considerations during the implementation of thermal insulation?


  • Thermal insulation materials must be kept in dry, protected areas.

  • Confirm that all surfaces are intact and free from cracks, holes, and grease before proceeding.

  • To protect against moisture, layer insulation materials on both sides of walls and roofs using the proper installation technique authorized by the Electricity and Water Authority.


 

Part 2


I. The Implementation Procedure:


The table below shows the required documents and drawings for the implementation stages:


Planning and Building Permit Stage

Construction Stage

  • Detailed drawings, including cross sections, of the glazing, roof, ceiling, and exterior walls with beams and columns used for thermal insulation. The engineering office's entry of thermal insulation data must adhere to these drawings. Implementation of Thermal Insulation form.

 
  • Thermal insulation implementation forms.

  • Required supporting documents.

 
  • An undertaking by the engineering office.

 
  • A copy of a valid certificate from the Electricity & Water Authority to the Engineering Office authorizing the practice of thermal insulation implementation in buildings.

  • Based on the above submissions by the engineering office, the Municipality shall issue the building permit.

  • The engineering office handles overseeing the application of thermal insulation in the building at all stages of construction. They must also ensure that the type of glass and the use of thermal insulation materials for walls and roofs are in accordance with the TII Form.

 
  • When the building is completed, the engineering office must submit a certificate stating that the thermal insulation has been installed and complies in full with the Thermal Insulation Order requirements.




The engineering office that is supervising the implementation of the thermal insulation implementation must also keep a record of the following:

  • Copies of the thermal insulation implementation forms and supporting documents submitted with the building permit application

  • Copies of thermal insulation implementation modifications approved.

  • Copies of material approval forms for glass.

  • Record of follow up notices & inspection reports.

  • Copies of violation notices issued to contractors.

  • Record of violations & rectification of violations.

  • Copies of Final completion certificates issued.


Submissions Through the Old System (Municipality OSS)


There are two ways the implementation procedure could follow:

A. If the building’s built-up area is more than 2800 m2:


Planning Stage

  1. The engineering office shall fill the Thermal Insulation Implementation forms and attach the drawing set with the supporting documents.

  2. Submit online on the municipality system to get the approval of EWA. (Note: Once the application is complete, there will be an assigned application number to the project. In case there is any change at the site later to the approved insulation material, owner, engineering office, etc., then the engineering office must submit a modification form with the supporting documents)

  3. Obtaining the building permit. (Note: Once the building permit is obtained, then the application number previously assigned will be used to identify the project)


Construction Stage

  1. Send a follow-up notice to EWA to request an inspection. (Note: this should be sent for every level of the building, the roof and glass at least two weeks prior to the completion of the insulation works)

  2. EWA will respond to the request by setting up a date for the inspection. (Note: the authorized engineer from the engineering office must be present during the inspection)

  3. EWA will perform the inspection and either approve the implementation or reject it. (Note: Once approved the follow up construction form (Municipality form) will be stamped, otherwise, a violation will be issued, and the engineering office shall arrange for the violation to be rectified)


B. If the building’s built-up area is less than 2800 m2:


Planning Stage

  1. The engineering office shall fill the Thermal Insulation Implementation forms and attach the drawing set with the supporting documents.

  2. Submit online on the municipality system to get the approval of EWA.

  3. Obtaining the building permit.


Construction Stage

  1. The engineering office will coordinate with the owner and the contractor to arrange for the inspections. (Note: this should be sent for every level of the building, the roof and glass before the completion of the insulation works)

  2. The inspection date will be set, and the authorized engineer must be present during the inspection. (The in-charge engineer from the contractor side must be present as well)

  3. The engineering office will approve or reject the thermal insulation implementation. (Note: In case it is rejected, the engineering office will coordinate the contractor and the owner to rectify the violation)


Submissions Requirements for The Different Stages:


Planning and Building Permit Stage

Construction Stage

  • Thermal Insulation Implementation Form.

  • Follow Up Notice as prescribed format.

  • Supporting documents for thermal resistivity/thermal resistance values of materials used in U-Value calculations.

  • Material Approval Form for Glass.

  • Calculation sheet for glass area as per prescribed format.

  • Thermal Insulation Implementation Modification Form.

  • Calculation sheet for external surface area as per prescribed format.

  • Copies of delivery Notes for glass.

  • Performance data sheets from glass manufacturer for each type of glass.

  • Copy of approved electrical load.

  • Architectural plans for all floors.

  • Elevation drawings.

  • Schedule of doors/windows/curtain walls/skylights.

  • Cross section drawings for each type of roof & wall with thermal insulation details.

  • Layout of columns /beams & Schedule of columns /beams.


Violations


In violations there are two main types: “Procedural Violations” and “Violations of the Conduct of Thermal Insulation”.


First, we'll go over the procedural violations and they are summarized the in table below:


Type of violation

​Action required from Engineering Office (E.O)

  • ​Non Submission of Follow up notices (FUN) for walls floor wise during progress of construction

  • Ensure that Follow up Notice is sent for each floor when intending to start thermal insulation and at least two week in advance before its completion.

  • Non submission of copies of Building Permit (BP) & Address Card with first Follow Up Notice

  • Submit copies of BP & address card for entrance of the building once only with first FUN. No need for address card of flats

  • Non Submission of TII Modification Form for changes in approved TII Form

  • E.O. should send a copy of the approved TII form to the client & contractor and advise them not to change thermal insulation materials in walls, roof or glass without obtaining prior approval from EWA. E.O. should submit TII Modification Form & obtain approval before incorporating any changes. Keep a copy of the approved TII Form/TII Modification Form at the site.

  • Completing the building without submission of follow up notices & thermal insulation inspections

  • This is a serious violation of the Code of Practice E.O. should be vigilant and ensure the procedures for FUN are followed strictly.


Next, the violations in the conduct of thermal insulation are summarized below:


Type of Violations

Action required from Engineering Office (E.O)

Violations in Walls Insulation:

Violations related to use of Light Weight Blocks

  • Use of ordinary mortar instead of glue or thin bed mortar for joints.

  • Ensure that only glue or thin bed mortar supplied by the Manufacturer is used.

  • Use of ordinary (uninsulated) blocks adjacent to window/door openings & columns instead of light weight blocks.

  • Manufacturer's should be consulted on how to fix the window/door frames to the walls with light weight blocks and follow their instructions instead of using ordinary blocks.

  • Use of Ordinary (uninsulated) blocks for walls of light wells/shafts, external walls in G.F., balconies, walls behind louvers etc.

  • Walls of light wells/shafts open to sky and all external walls (even if they are in shaded areas like car parks, balconies, behind louvers) should be insulated E.O. should instruct the contractor accordingly & use of ordinary blocks for the same should not be allowed.

Violations in Roof Insulation:

Violations related to roof insulation with P.U. Foam

  • Thickness of P.U. Foam less than the thickness given in the approved Thermal Insulation Implementation (TII) Form

  • Minimum thickness should not be less than what has been approved in the TII Form. E.O. should check the same before sending FUN for inspection.

  • Density of P.U. Foam is less than what was approved in the TII Form.

  • Specify the density of P.U. Foam to be the same as in the approved TII Form in the contract for water proofing and ensure its compliance.

  • Covering the P.U. Foam insulation with concrete screed before inspection.

  • E.O. should send FUN at least two weeks in advance before the completion of roof insulation & ensure that P.U. Foam insulation is not covered with concrete screed before inspection.

Violations related to roof insulation with extruded polystyrene:

  • Separation layer not provided

  • Geo-fabric separation layer is required to be provided between extruded polystyrene and stone ballast or concrete screed. E. O. should ensure the same before sending FUN for inspection.

  • Vent pipes not provided over separation layer

  • If concrete screed is to be provided over the extruded polystyrene, vent pipes @ one per 50 m² of roof area should be provided over the Geo-fabric separation layer. E.O. should ensure that vent pipes are in place at the time of inspection. No need for vent pipes if stone ballast or loosely laid paving tiles are used over separation layer.

  • Using expanded polystyrene instead of extruded polystyrene approved for roof insulation.

  • Expanded polystyrene is not accepted for roof insulation as its water absorption is more compared to extruded polystyrene.

Violations related to glazing:

  • Glass installed is different from the approved glass (different air space, different type etc.)

  • Submit Material Approval Form for glass & obtain approval of EWA before change to avoid rejection.

  • Clear glass is used in G.F. instead of insulated glass approved.

  • Only insulated glass is to be used. Obtain prior approval of EWA for any deviation from the earlier approval.


Submissions Through the New System (Benayat)


The Kingdom of Bahrain's Information and eGovernment Authority and the Electricity and Water Authority worked together to launch an online portal that automates the approval and issuance of building permits. The application and approval processes are seamless thanks to the electronic service, and the building permit is issued right away. All required building material databases are uploaded into the system and kept up to date to streamline the procedure and replace the manual steps to process BP described earlier.


This is how the procedure can be summed up:

  1. Using their assigned user ID and password, the engineering office or user logs into the system using a browser.

  2. Navigate to the Thermal Insulation subsection.

  3. Next, start the application process by choosing the individual roofs, walls, and glazing components of the project.

  4. Choose the materials that will be used in each of the parts you chose in step 3 above.

  5. The user finds the necessary conditions for their design, such as the desired areas, orientations, etc.

  6. The calculation of U-values and other technical parameters, including shading coefficients, etc., is automatic. The validity of all additional requirements for thermal insulation is also validated.

Once the procedure has been approved, the building permit is given right away without the need to submit any T.I.-related attachments via upload or submission. The following layout gives a brief overview of the entire procedure.


So, what does this section look like in Benayat and what data do you (The authorized engineer) must input?


First you must add the materials of each component of your roof in order from the drop-down list, then you input their thicknesses. The system automatically fills the properties of the approved materials and will automatically calculate the R-Value, which in turn will output the U-Value of the roof. The same is applied to the floor/ceiling component.


This image shows the Benayat Thermal Section - Thermal Transmittance U-Value for roofs
Benayat Thermal Section - Thermal Transmittance U-Value for roofs

This image shows the Benayat Thermal Section - Thermal Transmittance U-Value for floors and ceilings
Benayat Thermal Section - Thermal Transmittance U-Value for floors and ceilings

Then you must calculate the areas of each of the project’s vertical externally exposed components such as block walls, columns, beams, shafts, voids, shear walls, etc.…. After calculating the area of each of the components applicable to your project, you select the materials of the layers that constitute the component in order, then you input the thickness of the layer. The system will calculate the R-Value automatically and then output the overall U-Value for the vertical components of the project.


This image shows the thermal Transmittance U-Values for external walls
Thermal Transmittance U-Values for external walls

This image shows the Benayat Thermal Section - Thermal Transmittance U-Value for external columns
Benayat Thermal Section - Thermal Transmittance U-Value for external columns

After this, you must complete the glass calculations.


This image shows the Benayat Thermal insulation Glass Calculation Sheet
Benayat Thermal insulation Glass Calculation Sheet

First, you must calculate the areas of the elevations of the project including the area of the glass in square meters. Then you input all the windows and doors that you have with their code, width, height and the total number of windows and doors with the same code in each elevation.


After completing the table above, the system will give you a summary of the areas of glass in each elevation and the percentage of glass in each elevation with the totals for both areas and percentages.

This image shows the second part of the Benayat Thermal insulation Glass Calculation Sheet.jpg
The second part of the Benayat Thermal insulation Glass Calculation Sheet

Next you must input the details of the glass itself. What is the type of glass you are using for windows of your project? Of course, there are different applications of the glass such as a normal window and door, curtain walls, skylights, and showrooms. Remember each of these have different minimum and maximum values for U-Values, shading coefficient and light transmission depending on the percentage and application of the glass.


You will be selecting the brand, category, and product from a drop-down list for each type of glass application applicable for your project. In turn, the system will automatically output the U-Value, shading coefficient and light transmittance values.


Below is a summary of the application through Benayat. Many consider this method to be superior to the old method due to its efficiency and effectiveness and lack of complications compared to the old method.


Enlarged Photo Below:



 

Part 3


I. Forms, Material List and Approved Material Samples


You might be wondering what are the forms that you will need to fill for the thermal insulation implementation, right? Please click here to get a copy of the latest forms available on EWA’s website. Let’s go over them, because you need to know what they look like and what their content is for the interview. We’ll highlight what you need to know.


We’ll split them into procedural and approval forms and calculation forms to make them easier to understand:


First here are the procedural and approval forms:


This image shows the thermal Insulation Implementation Form
Thermal Insulation Implementation Form (Memorize the table and the required documents)

This image shows the thermal Insulation Inspection Form.jpg
Thermal Insulation Inspection Form (Memorize the table and the required docuements)

 This image shows the Thermal Insulation Modification Form
Thermal Insulation Modification Form (Memorize "change of" and required documents)

Thermal Insulation Glass Approval Form (Memorize the two tables)

This image shows the Thermal Insulation Roof Coating Form
Thermal Insulation Roof Coating Form (Memorize the section of "Roof Coating")

This image shows the thermal Insulation Audit Checklist Form
Thermal Insulation Audit Checklist Form (Memorize the items to be audited)

This image shows the Thermal Insulation Completion Checklist Form
Thermal Insulation Completion Checklist Form (Memorize the list of items)

Next, we’ll go over the calculation forms. Here, you must know how to calculate the final U-Values for each component of the project.


This image shows the Thermal Transmittance Calculation Form
The Thermal Transmittance Calculation Form

The principle to get the final U-Values is simple and it is displayed in the example below.


This image shows a sample of a common cross section for external walls
Sample of a common cross section for external walls

What we have above is one of the most common types of external walls used in Bahrain, and it is the AAC blocks. As shown, you will treat the calculation as a sequence of going through the different layers of the cross section of the component. So, after selecting the materials, you will have the values of the densities and conductivity ready. You will have to input the thickness of the layer in the component.


For example, the plaster has a thickness of 0.015m and its conductivity is 0.75. Get the reciprocal of the conductivity (1/0.75 (the resistivity)) and multiply it by the thickness and you will get the Thermal Resistance of the layer in (m2.K/W). You will complete this procedure for all the layers of the component and add them all up (with the addition of the internal and external adjacent air film layers) and you will get the total Thermal Resistance of component. After this you must get the reciprocal of RT, which is the Total Thermal Transmittance (U-Value) of the component. (Note: remember to cross check with the maximum U-Values we discussed earlier to see if the component passes or not. If you don’t, EWA will come to your house and take away your A/C)


So, you might be wondering now, okay but where do I get the information about the materials such as density, conductivity and so on? Don’t worry about that, there is an approved list of materials that is constantly being updated on the official EWA website. You can find it here!



This image shows the Thermal Insulation Materials Approved List
Thermal Insulation Materials Approved List by EWA

In the glass calculation forms we'll show below, you follow the same procedure you do in Benayat. First, you calculate the areas of the elevation including the areas of the glass. Then, you list the windows and doors in the list with their quantities and areas in each elevation to get the percentages of glass used in total in relation to the total area of the elevations.


Finally, you will select the type of glass and input its properties. Make sure that the values of the U-Value, shading coefficient and light transmittance match the minimum and maximum value allocated for the percentage of glass in your project.


 This image shows the Thermal Insulation Glass Calculation Sheet for External Areas
Thermal Insulation Glass Calculation Sheet for External Areas (Including glass)

This image shows the Thermal Insulation Glass Area Sheet
Thermal Insulation Glass Area Sheet (To get the percentage of glass)

 This image shows the thermal Insulation Glass Selection Form
Thermal Insulation Glass Selection Form

Now that you are familiar with the forms, there is another thing that you must be familiar with. The certificate of an approved material and its contents. We’ll show you an example here.


This image shows an Example of Material Certificate
Example of Material Certificate

What you need to know is that an approval certificate includes the following information:

  1. Certificate number.

  2. Registration date.

  3. Issued to which company?

  4. Product name.

  5. Material application.

  6. Manufacturer name.

  7. Validity date.

  8. The system properties, specifications, and thermal values.


 

Quick review - frequent questions and answers:


Question

Answer

  • What is the current Ministerial Order?

Order number 148/2018

  • What are the forms used for the calculations of the U-Values?

The U-Value calculation form for the block walls, walls of voids/light wells/shafts, columns, beams, concrete/shear wall, roof insulation, floor/ceiling insulation and spandrel area of curtain walls.

  • How to calculate the U-Value for a block wall?

List the layers of the materials being the external wall component. List down their properties of conductivity and density and calculate the thermal resistance for each layer. Then you add up all the thermal resistance values for the part including the adjacent layers of air and finally divide 1/RT to get the total U-Value of the component.

  • You noticed a violation done by the contractor, how do you ensure that the violation is corrected, and it will not be repeated?

Make the contractor doing the thermal insulation sign an undertaking to take responsibility for a proper implementation of thermal insulation.

  • The approved material in the TII forms has been changed to a different material, what is the procedure?

The engineering office must submit a Thermal Insulation Implementation Modification Form and get the approval of the new material before implementing it on site. (Note: check the modification form as it will be used in case of any change that affects the implementation of thermal insulation such as a change in the engineering office or even a change in the owner. Each change requires a set of documents to be submitted with the form)

  • Do you need to submit forms in Benayat?

No, the system in Benayat is automatic, you only must input the calculations.

  • What is the procedure for a Thermal Insulation audit conducted by EWA in an engineering office?

1. The engineering office must request a thermal insulation audit and interviews within three months of the expiration of the certificate.

 

2. EWA will send a letter to the engineering office with an audit checklist/requirement.

 

3. EWA will assign a certified engineer to follow up on the audit with the thermal insulation unit.

 

4. EWA will select projects with buildup areas less than 2800m² to audit.

 

5. The engineering office must submit a building permit, TII forms, Benayat data, architecture/structure/cross section drawings, and inspection reports.

 

6. The EWA engineer will review the submitted documents and verify the implementation of the thermal insulation on the site.

 

7. EWA will audit the engineering office's performance and commitment to thermal insulation.

 

8. The engineering office reviews the report and returns it to the thermal insulation unit.

 

9. The engineering office must submit a plan to rectify the violation and a declaration letter to comply with the thermal insulation regulation.

 

10. EWA will issue a thermal insulation certificate based on performance, response, and rectification.

  • What are the contents of the Thermal Insulation Inspection form?

Check the form and highlighted content above.

  • What are the contents of the Thermal Insulation Implementation form?

Check the form and highlighted content above.

  • ​What are the contents of the Thermal Insulation Glass Approval form?

Check the form and highlighted content above.

  • What are the contents of the Thermal Insulation Material approval certificate?

1. Certificate number.

2. Registration date.

3. Issued to which company?

4. Product name.

5. Material application.

6. Manufacturer name.

7. Validity date.

8. The system properties, specifications, and thermal values.

Check the example certificate attached

  • What are the contents of the Thermal Insulation Audit form?

Check the form and highlighted content above.

  • What are the contents of the Thermal Insulation Completion Checklist form?

Check the form and highlighted content above.

  • What is an example of an approved roof coating material?

SR Coat MTR

Check the attached example material certificate.

  • What is the difference between a standalone and non-standalone material?

​A non-standalone material cannot be the only thermally insulating layer in the component; if a non-standalone material is selected from the approved materials list, it must be supported with another approved thermal insulation material.

  • How do you ensure that the area of the glass used in the project at site is the same area approved in the forms and the drawings?

You must check the material delivery notes of the glass.

  • What is the maximum built up area that the engineering office can inspect the thermal insulation implementation independently without the inspection of EWA?

2800 m2, if it exceeds this built-up area, then EWA must be involved in the thermal insulation implementation process, and they must be notified for inspections 2 weeks before the completion of thermal insulation of each level.


You finally made it to the end; you are such a champion . Don’t worry, if you follow this guide, you will ace the interview. Come back here whenever you need a refresher. Make sure you follow Perception for more valuable information in the future.


Here are some quick FAQs about the interview:


1. What are the prerequisites to the interview?


A licensed engineering office applies for the thermal insulation implementation license from EWA and two engineers/architects within the office will be eligible for the interview.


2. Can I fail the interview? How many times?


- Yes, you are allowed to repeat the interview if you fail. But don’t push it, don’t fail a hundred times.


3. What do you need to learn? Do you need to be trained?


- You didn’t read the article, did you? Anyway, just read this article and you’ll be up to speed. You can ask someone from your office to show you how they fill the forms. It is always good to see the pros do it.


4. Do I have to get this license?


- No, the license is not mandatory. But it makes you sound like an expert.


5. Do I have additional responsibilities after passing the interview?


- You will have additional responsibilities after the office receives the license for Thermal Insulation Implementation. You will be in charge of filling the thermal forms, doing the calculations, and ensuring that the contractor follows the procedures at site. Make sure you are following the procedures now, because you will be signing the thermal forms and your name will be on them. If the contractor violates the rules, you must ensure they rectify the mistake and ensure they never repeat it again by making them sign an undertaking, now they are liable for the violations if they let something slip.



 


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