Supergrund foundation

As we are building energy efficient homes they require insulated foundations to prevent heat loss. This is particularly important at the joint between the external walls and the floor.

Insulated foundations are different to traditional foundations as their is a continuous layer of insulation from the floor to the wall which means their is no heat loss occurring at the wall-floor junction. This often occurs in traditional foundations where their is no thermal break between the inner leaf of a concrete cavity wall and the ground.

Insulated Foundation have a number of advantages such as: 

  • They require minimal excavation, so there is less impact on the landscape.
  • They use much less concrete and have lower embodied energy than traditional strip foundations.
  • They prevent thermal bridging at the wall-floor junction, which reduces energy bills and CO2 emissions.
  • They are quick to construct.
Disadvantages include:
  • They require a high level of workmanship and attention to detail.
  • A specially trained team is needed for installation.


Along the perimeter of the foundation is a high strength "F Profile" insulated (EPS 300) ring beam with the enclosed area being filled with between 300 - 400mm of EPS 100 insulation; ensuring that the entire slab is wrapped in insulation, eliminating thermal bridging (typical u-value 0.100-0.155 W/m2K) and also protecting the structure from moisture.

I chose this foundation type as this system is manufactured in limerick which means locally sourced materials will be used to manufacture it and also means low embodied energy.



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