For almost thirty years, the Schöck Isokorb^® product range has led the market in providing exceptionally high performance thermal break solutions. Now, the latest generation for concrete-to-concrete applications – the type XT – pushes the boundaries even further. This new sixth generation is the company's response to the increasingly demanding building regulations legislation throughout Europe, not just for much greater energy efficiency, but improved sound insulation in buildings as well. The XT is the only thermal break module for balcony connections to be accredited by the German Passivhaus Institute.

Isokorb^® units minimise thermal energy loss in connective areas by guaranteeing the homogeneity of the thermal envelope between cantilever structures and the internal floor, at the same time transferring load and maintaining full structural integrity. The new type XT not only improves thermal insulation performance by up to 30%, it also improves impact sound insulation by around 50% as well.

A major reason for the improved performance of the type XT is the thicker insulation layer. Instead of the previous 80mm, this has been increased to a 120mm layer, and for further improvement still, Neopor is used as the insulant. Neopor is better at absorbing the thermal radiation within the material and so produces an extra thermal insulation effect. In addition, the high thermal efficiency (HTE) pressure modules, which incorporate high-density, micro-fibre reinforced concrete and already provide an extremely high level of thermal insulation, help optimise the performance values.

A high quality stainless-steel with improved tensile strength is an integral part of the unit; and while the same load-bearing capacity is maintained, there is a smaller rod diameter and therefore a reduction in the thermally conducting cross-section, resulting in a further increase in the heat insulation performance.

The units are designed to help meet compliance with the UK building regulations. These state that the temperature factor used to indicate condensation risk (fRSI), as described in BRE IP1/06 – a document cited in Building Regulations Approved Documents Part L1 and L2 and Section 6 in Scotland – must be greater than, or equal, to 0.75 for dwellings. For commercial buildings it must be greater than, or equal to 0.5. Furthermore, it enables optimum compliance with the Building Regulations Approved Documents by using numerical modelling to calculate the building’s energy performance.

The XT has already seen considerable success in Germany, not least for its impact sound insulation characteristics. For the first time in Germany there is now a stated minimum standard requirement for balconies. Until now, this only applied to covered balconies, but the Schöck Isokorb^® XT has the advantage that it conforms to the minimum requirements for impact sound protection – without any additional floating flooring on the balconies or covered balconies.