CA3087396A1

CA3087396A1 - Exterior insulation and cladding support system for low thermal conductivity in buildings

Info

Publication number: CA3087396A1
Application number: CA3087396A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Anthony Leaning
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-07-15
Filing date: 2020-07-15
Publication date: 2022-01-15

Abstract

An assembly of components that provide a high performance thermal wall system for the exterior of buildings, functioning like a vertical space frame, to accommodate thicknesses of continuous wall insulation of 100mm or greater , with almost thermal-bridge-free construction, and providing support for an exterior wall cladding system. The system components include an intermediate horizontal steel girt attached with screws through the wall insulation to the structure and vertically supported by a suspension straps spaced along some of the girts that carry the wall cladding and insulation loads back onto the building structure, with an optional feature for adjusting its length; an optional supplementary metal clip to support additional thicknesses of insulation onto the girt, with an optional thin plastic thermal break separating the clip from the girt. The system provides wide flexibility for architecture and building construction for use with a wide range of structural systems, insulation, and cladding types.

Description

EXTERIOR INSULATION AND CLADDING SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LOW
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY IN BUILDINGS
Technical Field The present invention relates to a thermal wall assembly system for buildings, suitable for very large thicknesses of continuous insulation, such as in excess of 100mm.
Background The exterior envelope of a building consisting of walls, roof, exposed floors and foundations, provides several critical functions, such as appearance, keeping out weather, noise and pests, controlling heat loss during cold weather, heat gain during hot weather, as well as controlling moisture migration and damaging condensation within the exterior envelope.
One of the most important and costly functions of the building envelope in a cold climate is controlling heat loss, and a range of construction technologies exist for this purpose, all of which rely on insulation of some form located within the building envelope.
Most insulation is placed either in the space created by the exterior structural frame, or continuously outside of the structure, and in the case of exterior walls, just behind the cladding where it has the advantage of keeping the structure warm, and minimizing interruptions through the insulation by structural penetrations. As building codes get stricter in response to the cost of energy and efforts to reduce climate change impacts from buildings, more insulation is being used in a continuous layer on the outside of buildings.
For exterior walls, this has triggered a new range of building construction technologies for supporting exterior cladding while providing a deep space to fit the increased insulation.
A desire of all of these new technologies is an ability to support the exterior cladding with a minimum of material penetrating the insulation that will conduct heat through and bypass the thermal performance of the insulation. Most of these systems are described as thermally broken wall cladding support systems.

Another important feature of exterior wall cladding systems is a space created between the cladding and the rest of the wall in order to drain water that penetrates the cladding and help with drying, and prevent water migrating into the building interior, typically called a rain screen.
Most thermally broken wall cladding support systems, while reasonably effective, add significant cost to the exterior wall envelope, as they use purpose-made specialized components and require dedicated manufacturing processes involving multiple components, and have higher labour costs due to their complexity and the need to install the wall assembly components in multiple steps. Less expensive, simpler solutions will increase the adoption of better performing wall assemblies.
The current systems function as brackets and metal support rails secured to the structural wall and cantilevered through the insulation to support the cladding. They require robust profiles to provide sufficient strength of support through the wall. They also require multiple screw fasteners to secure the separate components of the system together and then secure the entire assembly to the wall. Since the systems must work as cantilevers, they have limited reach, and can only accommodate up to 150mm insulation depth for most and up to 200mm for a very few systems. This depth is just enough for insulation thickness under current codes for most cold climates, but will not be sufficient as building code requirements increase over the next several years. As a new generation of low-energy buildings is developing to reduce energy demand to the level that can be supplied with on-site renewable energy (Net Zero Buildings), insulation thickness will increase to 300mm and greater depending on location. Commercial systems are either non-existent or very costly to meet this need.
Existing systems have robust components with multiple screw fasteners penetrating the insulation layer. These components are made with materials such as steel and fiberglass which variously have greater thermal conductivity than insulation and therefore create thermal bridges which increase the heat loss through the entire system.
Compensation for

2 these additional heat losses is desired. Thermal bridging occurs when insulation support structures convey heat from the building wall to the exterior side of the insulation. It is desirable to minimize thermal bridging.
All current systems rely on support from the building structure which often is provided by steel or wood framing. As it is difficult to co-ordinate location of the wall framing members with the required location of support to suit the architectural layout of cladding panels, most of these systems rely on additional intermediate components to address offsets between the layout of cladding panels and the wall framing. These additional components add material and labour cost to these systems.
It is common for building structures to be constructed out of plumb by typically up to 12mm (1/2") framing. Most cladding support systems have developed means to accommodate these discrepancies so that the outside cladding is straight and vertical.
Some systems achieve this with the addition of components and features to permit adjustability, but these often add material, labour and/or compromises in thermal performance and cost. With this system, adjustability up to the levels that is normally required can be achieved simply by compressing the insulation. The insulation panels contribute compressive resistance to the attachment of the wall system to the structure, but .. can also be readily compressed, by tightening the screws to compensate for irregularity in the structural wall.
Most existing systems are placed in a relatively frequent pattern of between 405mm (16") and 610mm (24") horizontally and between 610mm (24") and 1220mm (48") vertically in order to provide enough support for the insulation and cladding. If insulation is installed in multiple thicknesses, the insulation must have its joints lined up through the wall, which can result in gaps that reduce the insulation performance if workmanship is not careful.
Also, for systems where the bracket has thickness or profile, the insulation must be pushed aside or manually cut away to fit around the bracket resulting in gaps which will reduce .. thermal performance and require additional labour.

3 Systems are known for attaching insulation to the exterior of a building for the purpose of insulating the building, particularly in cold climates. Some methods rely on extra insulation. For example, US8898984 teaches installation of a second heat insulation panel in order to provide additional thickness to a traditional first insulation panel. This system uses a traditional dense insulation panel as the second insulation panel, spaced apart from the wall in order to hold in place a first lighter insulation panel between the wall and the second denser insulation panel. The patent requires a complicated spacer and L-bracket system for attachment to the wall along with a plurality of support rails that span the entire length of the outer wall and angled tension brackets that are attached between the wall and the support rails. The support rails are individual elements requiring complicated individual installation. In addition, the system requires a dense insulation panel on the exterior surface, thereby limiting the forms of insulation that can be used.
Summary One aspect of the present invention provides a system of supporting exterior cladding and exterior insulation in at least a first layer for conventional construction with an optional second layer of insulation for high performance low-energy construction. The system includes horizontal girts attached through the insulation to the building with screws and angled suspension straps attached directly to the building, along with an optional clip for .. additional thickness of insulation. In one aspect, a single horizontal girt can support a first layer of insulation without exceeding the length and performance limitations of the screws that secure the girts to the wall, while the supplementary clips enable additional layers of insulation. In addition, the present invention includes the ability to install cladding or strapping so that the cladding and strapping are independent of wall structure layout.
Furthermore, the present invention can include staggered insulation joints so as to reduce heat loss through the gaps in the dual layer of insulation.
The exterior thermal insulated wall system for buildings includes components which when constructed together on the outside of an exterior building wall, and when combined with rigid and semi-rigid insulation, can support exterior building cladding while providing insulation thicknesses greater than 100mm and avoiding thermal bridges that lose heating

4 , energy to the outside. Variability in the dimensions, spacing, and thickness gauge provide flexibility to suit each application to the thermal design objectives; weight and structural requirements of the cladding, and climate conditions including wind loads, selection of insulation type and thickness. The system has options that can be chosen to suit the required level of thermal performance, and adjustability to compensate for irregularities in construction tolerances.
One aspect of the basic system includes a primary layer of insulation, horizontal girts that are secured through this insulation layer to the structural substrate using long screws, and suspension straps for a level of thermal and constructability performance that provides up to about 200mm of insulation. For enhanced performance and higher insulation levels the system adds a supplementary metal clip and optional additional layers of insulation.
One feature of the basic system is the combination of special purpose designed components into a triangulated system of supports with minimal penetrations through the insulation that would conduct heat. These special components consist of gifts, an angled suspension strap with an optional feature for adjusting its length, and screws that provide support in both compression and tension. A secondary and optional layer of the system extends support for exterior cladding in thicker walls, using a special purpose-designed wall clip that is cantilevered from the exterior strapping. The two layers are integrated at a metal Z-shaped girt within the assembly to provide rigidity in two directions and to transfer loads between the two layers.
With previous systems, adjustability up to the levels that is normally required is achieved simply by compressing the insulation by tightening the screws to compensate for irregularity in the structural wall. In one aspect of the present invention, conversely, there is provided an adjustability feature in the hanger strap to permit the strap length to be adjusted to suit the degree of compression of the insulation imposed by the screws.
Of particular importance is the system's suitability for a single labour-saving installation process instead of multiple sequential steps or installation visits. Since the suspension

5 straps perform in tension and not as cantilevers, many fewer of these are required in the assembly which further improves the overall thermal performance, material cost, and speed of installation.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a thermal wall assembly for a building wall having an exterior layer of standard insulation panels, the building having an interior structure, the thermal wall assembly comprising: a plurality of horizontal girts each of the plurality of the girts comprising a first plane member and a second plane member, wherein the first plane member interfaces with an outside face of the insulation, and the second plane member interfaces with abutting faces of the insulation; one or more suspension straps, each connected and angled out from the wall to one or more of the gifts, and secured rigidly to the girts; one or more screws arranged along each of the gifts, each screw extending directly through the insulation to attach each of the girts directly to the wall through the insulation; and vertical strapping for cladding, wherein the strapping is secured on the first plane members of the plurality of girts and spaced independently of the interior structure of the building.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a thermal wall assembly for a building wall having an exterior layer of standard insulation panels comprising: a girt comprising a first plane member that interfaces with an outside face of the exterior layer of the insulation panels; one or more suspension straps, each connected and angled out from the wall to the girt; and, one or more screws arranged along the girt, each screw extending through the exterior layer of the insulation panels to attach the girt directly to the wall through the exterior layer of the insulation panels; wherein a strapping for cladding is secured on the first plane member of the girt.
Brief Description of the Drawings The device will be further understood from the following description with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a first step having insulation on a building wall;

6 , FIG. 2 shows a second step having girts, screws and suspension straps;
FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the screws and suspension straps;
FIG. 4 shows a third optional step having secondary layer insulation and supplementary clips;
FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of a cross-section through a wall showing the suspension strap, girt and clip;
FIG. 6 shows a closeup view of a clip attached to the strapping;
FIG. 7A shows a detailed top view of a clip;
FIG. 7B shows a detailed front view of a clip;
FIG. 7C shows a detailed side view of a clip;
FIG. 8 shows a fourth step having strapping, a second layer of insulation, weather barrier and cladding;
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of a first step having insulation on a building wall;
FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of a second step having girts, screws and suspension straps;
FIG. 11 shows a detailed view of the screws and suspension straps of Figure 10;
FIG. 12 shows a third step having strapping, an optional second layer of insulation, weather barrier and cladding for the embodiment of Figures 9 to 11;
FIG. 13 shows a closeup view of an embodiment having an adjustable hanger strap with an optional thermally insulating plastic cover;
FIG. 14 shows a closeup view of an embodiment having an adjustable hanger strap without the thermally insulating plastic cover;
FIG. 15 shows an embodiment having a flat, adjustable hanger strap attached to the wall and the girt;
FIG. 16 shows an embodiment having a flat, adjustable hanger strap with a thermally insulating plastic cover at one end attached to the wall and the girt; and FIG. 17 shows an embodiment having a flat hanger strap with an optional thermally insulating plastic cover at one end attached to the wall and the girt.

7 Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 shows a first stage having insulation 3 on a building wall. The insulation is typically panels that are 600mm wide and 1200mm in long, but other widths or lengths of insulation can be accommodated. The building structural wall substrate 1 onto which the assembly is constructed should have wood or steel stud framing; or, alternatively, concrete, reinforced masonry, or laminated structural wood panels can be used.
Generally, a standard conventional air and/or vapour barrier 2 is applied over the building structural wall substrate wall 1. The thermal-bridge-free wall system of the present invention can be constructed over the air and/or vapour barrier 2. Alternatively, the air and/or vapour barrier can be omitted.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a primary layer of conventional rigid or semi-rigid insulation 3 boards (typically 610mm wide x 1220mm long x 100mm up to 200mm thickness, for example) is installed using adhesive, impale clips 4, or a conventional equivalent, see Figure 2. These can be installed in either a horizontal or vertical orientation depending on the particular structural support requirements for the selected cladding system. The type of insulation board will be selected with a density or rigidity that resists compression from the girts that are screw fastened to the structural wall.
A horizontal Z-shaped girt 5 for the enhanced two layer system, or a modified L-shaped girt 5B for the basic system, is installed over the insulation, as shown in Figures 2 and 10.
The girt can be installed as each row of insulation board is installed, or afterwards. These gifts are of a gauge suited to the structural requirements of each building application. In one aspect, the girts are placed over the top outside edge of the primary layer of insulation boards and screwed through the insulation to the building structure behind.
The girts can optionally have factory pre-drilled holes at 102mm (4") spacing in order to aid lining up with the standard spacing of wall framing if wood or steel framing is used in the building..
In another aspect, the horizontal flanges of the girts can be optimized at about 30-50mm horizontal depth to reduce thermal bridging and about 75mm vertical height and to provide sufficient horizontal and vertical rigidity to span between screws as well as support for the

8 next layers of insulation. These girts may be installed at 610mm or 1220mm vertical spacing, for example, depending on the structural requirements for each application. The gifts can have an optional milled surface on the flange to prevent the point of the self-tapping screw for the supplementary clip in the enhanced version from slipping while it is being fastened.
In a further embodiment, purpose-made screws 6 can be used for fastening the girt 5 and 5B to the wall, see for example Figures 3 and 11. The screws 6 can have standard threading for wood, steel, or concrete application or can be specially threaded in three sections when self-tapping into steel, for example: a threaded portion of 30-50mm (length selected to suit the dimensions of the completed assembly and for structural considerations) at the point to grip the wall; an unthreaded shank for most of its full length to permit the screw point to self-tap the structural substrate (such as a steel stud) without threads engaging the girt; and a threaded portion of about 15mm up to the screw head in order that these threads catch the girt to secure it against movement at right angles to the wall, and provide resistance to compression, due to loading and wind. Additional resistance to compression provided in the type of the insulation chosen, may be optional in this embodiment.
An optional soft plasticized gasket in the shape of a sleeve can be provided on the screw 6 where additional air-tightness sealing is required around the screw penetration through the air and/or vapour barrier membrane on the wall. The sleeve shape will reduce the risk of tearing the insulation where the sleeved screw penetrates it.
After the girts 5 and 5B are installed and before the next layer of optional insulation boards are installed, an angled suspension strap 7, fabricated from a metal strap or a heavy-gauge wire is used for fastening between the wall 1 and the girt 5. The suspension strap 7 is formed at each end to lay flat against the wall and the girt, or bent into a loop or equivalently arranged and is pre-drilled to receive a screw 7A for fastening to the wall 1 and a screw 7B
for fastening to the girt 5. The top mounting plate of the suspension strap at the wall support is optionally provided with bent edges for rigidity and resistance to bending under

9 loading, especially when installed against a softer non-structural sheathing panel such as gypsum board.
In a further embodiment of the suspension straps, an adjustable section is provided near the bottom outside end for ease of access while insulation is in place. This provides adjustability so that when the girts are tightened or loosened to compensate for out-of-plumb variation in the structural wall after the suspension hanger or suspension strap has been secured to the wall, any over tightness or looseness in the hanger can be corrected.
The adjustment can be secured permanently with a set screw. Figure 13 shows a closeup of a lower end of a flat version of the suspension strap 7 having one or more holes 7.4 for screw fasteners in a bottom plate 7.3. An adjustable connection 7.5 is provided in the bottom of the suspension strap 7 via the bottom plate 7.3, which has an elongated slot 7.6 for adjusting the connection of a set screw 7.7 therein. An optional thermal isolation cover 7.8 is provided over the lower end of the bottom plate 7.3.
Figure 14 shows a closeup of a lower end of a flat version of the suspension strap 7 having an adjustable connection 7.5 similar to Figure 13, but without the thermal isolation cover 7.8.
Figure 15 shows the flat version of the suspension strap 7 having an adjustable connection 7.5 attached to the wall 1 and the girt 5. The top end of the suspension strap 7 has a top plate 7.1 with optional edge stiffeners and holes 7.2 for screw fasteners.
Figure 16 shows the flat version of the suspension strap 7 having an adjustable connection 7.5 attached to the wall 1 and the girt 5, similar to Figure 15, however including the optional thermal isolation cover 7.8 over the lower end of the bottom plate 7.3.
Other variations include providing an optional thermal isolation cover over an upper end of the top plate 7.1.

10 Figure 17 shows the flat version of the suspension strap 7 without adjustability and attached to the wall 1 and the girt 5. The top plate 7.1 with edge stiffeners is shown along with the screws entering the holes 7.2. In this example, the bottom screw can be angled at the wood framing to provide resistance to pull-out to satisfy local Codes.
The suspension straps, whether flat, adjustable, thermally insulated or a wire, can be installed between adjacent insulation boards 3 or alternatively arranged. The spacing of the suspension straps both horizontally and vertically can be arranged to suit the structural requirements, and insulation board size and orientation. A great amount of flexibility is possible. The process of assembly of the whole wall system permits all components to be constructed row by row in a single operation, rather than in separated and sequential phases as per prior solutions requiring multiple installation visits for each of the thermal wall assembly, the insulation and the strapping.
The suspension hangers or suspension straps are not required at each row or column of insulation and girts, due to their structural capacity in tension to support greater loads than typical cantilevered brackets, and made possible by the capability of the overall system of girts and strapping to transfer loads back to the suspension straps.
For seismic restraint in locations where earthquakes are a significant risk, additional periodic horizontal and vertical suspension straps can be added to resist uplift and side-to-side movement.
In the enhanced system with the secondary layer, in one embodiment, a supplementary clip 8 is fastened with a single screw or other form of fastening onto the exposed flange of the girt 5, see for example Figures 4, 6 and 7A, 7B and 7C. The clip can optionally have die-formed stiffener ribs 8A along the primary web for structural stiffness;
punched elongated slotted holes 8B for the screws that secure the clip to the Z-girt; and slotted holes 8D for the screw(s) that secure the outer strapping 10 to the girt 5, allowing for adjustability perpendicular to the wall. The clip can further have die-formed dimples 8C on the contact surface with the girt 5 which holds the clip in position when screw-tightened into place.

11 The dimples also serve to minimize the contact surface between the clip and girt providing a thin air film therebetween which contributes to reduced thermal bridging. An optional thin 2mm plasticized thermal gasket 13 (Figure 7C) can be added to the contact surface with the Z-girt 5 to increase thermal resistance across the junction between the clip 8 and the Z-girt 5. The clip can be dimensioned to receive any thickness of insulation, for example the clip can be between 50 to 150mm in length extending from the girt, with a bottom flange 8E for rigidity having a width of 22mm, for example. The front flange 8F
of the clip that attaches to the strapping can be of any suitable size, for example 50mm by 50mm. Once secured by the next strapping layer, the clips become rigid supports for the cladding onto the girts.
The clip should be located in line with the strapping 10 that supports the cladding 12 so it is aligned with cladding joints, lines of support, and sides of window and door openings, see for example Figure 5. The spacing of the clips can typically be at 407mm (16") or 610mm (24") to suit the cladding as well as insulation board sizes although other spacing is easily accommodated.
A secondary and outer layer of insulation 9 is installed over the first in the enhanced system, see Figure 8. The outer layer of insulation 9 can be supported during installation on the exposed flange of the intermediate Z-girt 5. It may also be temporarily held in place until the assembly is completed using adhesive, straps, or sequenced with the installation of the outer cladding strapping 10.
The cladding system includes vertical strapping 10 fastened to the girts 5 or clips 8 with a pair of screws 10A, although more or less screws can be used as required. A
weather barrier membrane 11 and cladding panels 12 are installed last. Figures 5 and 8 illustrate the preferred order of installation. The strapping 10 is preferably screwed onto the clips 8 using two screws per clip for a rigid connection, although other fastening forms may be used. The components of the cladding system, such as the strapping 10, weather barrier 11 and cladding 12 are conventional components, and a wide variety of cladding materials is accommodated.

12 In the basic system, a second layer of insulation 9 can be applied directly over the first layer of insulation 3, if required, see Figure 10, with the screws 6 extended in length to go through both layers of insulation. The cladding system of the basic system also includes vertical strapping 10 which is fastened to the gifts 5B with screws. Weather barrier membrane 11 and cladding panels 12 are installed last. Figure 12 illustrates the preferred order of installation. The strapping 10 is preferably screwed onto the girts 5B using two screws per clip for a rigid connection, although more or less screws can be used as required.
This system readily accommodates up to 400mm insulation thickness or more using multiple layers of conventional insulation, particularly in the enhanced insulation system.
For example, this is the insulation required in parts of Canada to meet the International Passive House Standard, one of the most stringent energy performance standards in the world and considered a pre-requisite for Net- Zero Buildings. The basic form of the present invention uses suspension straps in tension, using the compressive strength of the insulation in combination with the screw that secures the girt to the wall, to create a light-weight truss within the wall that efficiently supports the insulation and cladding loads.
The present invention permits considerably thicker insulation than other available systems.
The single screw securing the intermediate girt to the building wall reduces the thermal bridging over prior systems. Conventional systems that rely on wall-mounted clips to carry the insulation and cladding typically use at least two screws per insulation panel.
In the enhanced system with the secondary layer, the screw 6 does not penetrate the entire .. thickness of the insulated assembly, i.e. it does not penetrate the second insulation panel 9, which makes the system more economical and again assists with reducing thermal bridging from the screw 6.
In one aspect, for self-tapping installations into a metal structure, the screw 6 can be provided with an unthreaded shank for most of its length so that when the screw advancement is slowed at the point where the tip penetrates the structural wall substrate 1,

13 =
the threading at the Z-girt 5 has not yet engaged the girt. This provides a benefit in that the screw threads secure the girt against compressive loads.
In the embodiment using a factory punched and dimpled hole in the girt 5 or 5B
for receiving the screw 6, the effective depth of metal for screw threads to "grab" is increased which aids in the performance of the system in compression due to wind loads and weight of the system.
The angled suspension strap 7, when secured to the structural wall substrate 1 and secured to the girt 5, creates a triangulated structural system, which provides greater capacity for support with less material than the cantilevered methods used in other systems. It also reduces the cross-section thickness of material required for structural support as the angled suspension strap 7 operates in tension rather than bending, and thereby reduces thermal losses through the material due to its smaller cross-sectional area. This is an improvement over conventional systems. Other systems have employed angled struts to achieve similar structural advantages, but these run completely through the entire assembly and use more elaborate components and cross-sections which are more costly than the present invention which uses only simplified flat strap.
Unlike other thermal insulation systems, the present invention places the thermal clip 8 only part way through the insulation thereby reducing the thermal bridging.
The attachment of the thermal clip 8 to the girt 5 instead of the structural wall substrate 1 reduces the cantilevered span of the clip 8 and thereby reduces the size and thickness of material needed to provide rigidity under loading. Also, the rigid connection between clip 8 and strapping 10 is located on the outside of the first insulated zone, where the greater amount of metal in contact has less thermal impact. As well, this reverse configuration with a rigid connection at the strapping 10 results in the thermal losses at the connection between the clip 8 and the Z-girt 5 being minimized due to the small overlap between these, and the heat losses are not carried through to the building structure. This is an improvement as current systems have a large area of contact between the connector and the building resulting in more heat loss, and greater measures required to reduce the heat loss.

14 Furthermore, the thermal clip 8 has slotted holes 8B and 8D for screw fasteners, die-formed ribs 8A for strength, and projecting dimples 8C at the point of contact with the girt 5 to reduce thermal transfer as well as help lock the clip 8 to the girt 5 when secured.
Layout of the strapping 10 is independent of wall structure layout, e.g. studs of the wall.
Thus, the cladding can be applied independently of the building structure underneath.
Insulation joints can be staggered to reduce heat losses through gaps at the joints. The system provides adjustability in three dimensions to compensate for out-of-plumb construction and other construction tolerances.
It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that variants can exist in the above-described arrangements and applications. The specific examples provided herein relate to a thermal wall assembly system for buildings; however, the materials, methods of application and arrangements of the invention can be varied. For example, the system can be turned 90 degrees so that the girts are running vertically. As another example, standard screws or other fasteners can be used to replace the specially designed screws described. The girt members could be fabricated without milling or pre-set holes for screws. The suspension straps could have a different form with a change in cross-section or fabrication.
The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims

1. A thermal wall assembly for a building wall having an exterior layer of standard insulation panels, the building having an interior structure, the thermal wall assembly comprising:
a plurality of horizontal gilts each of the plurality of the gilts comprising a first plane member and a second plane member, wherein the first plane member interfaces with an outside face of the insulation, and the second plane member interfaces with abutting faces of the insulation;
one or more suspension straps, each connected and angled out from the wall to one or more of the gifts, and secured rigidly to the gifts;
one or more screws arranged along each of the girts, each screw extending directly through the insulation to attach each of the girts directly to the wall through the insulation; and vertical strapping for cladding, wherein the strapping is secured on the first plane members of the plurality of girts and spaced independently of the interior structure of the building.

2. The thermal wall assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more clips connected to the plurality of gifts, wherein the girts have a Z-shape cross-section to enable connection of the clips for supporting a second layer of insulation.

3. The thermal wall assembly of claim 2 wherein the strapping is attached to the clip.

4. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each of the one or more screws have an unthreaded or reduced diameter shank for a portion of length such that a remaining portion of length exterior to the wall maintains the girt at a preferred distance from the wall.

5. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the girts have one or more factory punched dimples or holes for receiving each of the one or more screws therein.

6. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein each of the at least one suspension strap, combined with at least one of the girts, at least one of the screws and the strapping to form a triangulated and rigid structural frame in both a vertical and horizontal direction to transfer the load of the cladding, the insulation panels and a cladding support system to the wall.

7. The thermal wall assembly of claim 2 wherein the one or more clips extend outward from the girts in a direction away from the wall, wherein each of the at least one suspension strap, combined with at least one of the girts, at least one of the screws and the strapping to form a triangulated and rigid structural frame to transfer the load of the cladding, the insulation panels, the second layer of insulation and a cladding support system to the wall.

8. The thermal wall assembly of claim 2 wherein the one or more clips further comprise slotted holes for adjustable screw fastening, die-formed stiffening ribs and dimples at points of contact with the girts to reduce thermal bridging by reducing surface area at points in contact that would permit thermal bridging at the connection.

9. The thermal wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the girt has an L-shape.

10. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the suspension strap has flanges on one or both ends for attachment of the strap to the wall or gifts.

11. The thermal wall assembly of claim 10 further comprising one or more screws attaching the suspension strap to the wall or girt through the flanges.

. .

12. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the insulation panels are rigid or semi-rigid and contribute to structural rigidity of the assembly.

13. The thermal wall assembly of claim 6 wherein the strapping is offset on the gifts from the at least one suspension strap and the one or more screws attaching the girt to the wall.

14. The thermal wall assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein the insulation panels form two or more exterior layers of standard insulation, and wherein the girt is arranged on the outside face of the two or more exterior layers of insulation.

15. The thermal wall assembly of claim 14 wherein the two exterior layers of insulation have joints that are staggered between the two exterior layers of insulation to reduce air gaps penetrating a full depth of the insulation.

16. The thermal wall assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein the layers of insulation are installed in a continuous horizontal rows in combination with placement of the horizontal girts.

17. The thermal wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one suspension strap is installed at a spacing configured to support the weight of the insulation, girts, cladding and strapping.

18. The thermal wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the strapping defines an air space between cladding and the insulation.

19. A thermal wall assembly for a building wall having an exterior layer of standard insulation panels comprising:

, a girt comprising a first plane member that interfaces with an outside face of' the exterior layer of the insulation panels;
one or more suspension straps, each connected and angled out from the wall to the girt; and, one or more screws arranged along the girt, each screw extending through the exterior layer of the insulation panels to attach the girt directly to the wall through the exterior layer of the insulation panels;
wherein a strapping for cladding is secured on the first plane member of the girt.

20. The thermal wall assembly of claim 19, wherein the girt further comprising a second plane member that abuts to abutting faces of adjacent ones of the insulation panels.

21. The thermal wall assembly of claim 19, wherein the girt further comprising a second plane member that abuts to an abutting face of one or more of the insulation panels.

22. The thermal wall assembly of claim 20 or 21, wherein the girt further comprises a third plane member that interfaces with a second exterior layer of insulation panels.

23. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein the strapping is a vertical strapping.

24. The thermal wall assembly of claim 19 further comprising one or more clips connected to the first plane member of the girt.

25. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 1 to 24 wherein the one or more suspension straps are flat having a first bent plate at a top of the strap and a second bent plate at a bottom of the strap.

26. The thermal wall assembly of claim 25 wherein the one or more suspension straps further comprise an adjustable connection.

27. The thermal wall assembly of claim 26 wherein the adjustable connection comprises a separate bottom plate having an elongated slot;
a hole in a lower end of the strap; and a set screw extending through the elongated slot and the hole.

28. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 25 to 27 wherein the one or more suspension straps further comprise a thermal isolation cover over the first bent plate, the second bent plate or the first and second bent plates.

29. The thermal wall assembly of claim 22 further comprising one or more clips connected to the third plane member of the girt.

30. The thermal wall assembly of any one of claims 25 to 29 wherein the one or more suspension straps further comprise formed edge stiffeners on the first bent plate, the second bent plate or the first and second bent plates.

31. The thermal wall assembly of claim 27 wherein a portion of the separate bottom plate and a portion of the second bent plate contact each other on an interlocking surface to prevent slipping when the set screw is secured.

32. The thermal wall assembly of claim 27 wherein the interlocking surface is ribbing.