The present project is about thermal insulation for rooftops made with recycled crumb rubber from scrap tires that responds to ecological and social problems, such as impacts to the ecosystem caused by dumped tires (fires/groundwater pollution…), health impacts (vectors/fires...), as well as excessive consumption of electricity in rooms without insulation that lead to higher fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. TermoLLanta is an active thermal rooftop insulation system that also filters and retains rainwater and increases the life of the waterproofing.

This product is defined as an "active” insulation, that differs from ‘passive’ insulating materials, which hinder the heat flow through them, because the incident solar radiation on the surface of the porous and permeable tiles heats up the exposed surface of our product; heat is transferred by thermal conduction through the rubber granules which dissipate some of the heat to the surrounding air; hot air decreases its density and through convection, drags the heat upwards cooling the granules it flows through creating a chimney effect. This causes a negative pressure which sucks air from the lower pores, which is replaced by air flowing through the edges of the insulating surface through the lower channels, venting/cooling the roof surface. This is why it can be classified as a ventilated roof system, making the process of heat transfer through conduction-radiation-convection system slower than 'passive' insulation.

TermoLLanta consists of tiles that can be manufactured locally, with molds and crumb rubber bonded with adhesive at room temperature, forming a porous and permeable structure that gives the ‘active insulation’ character and functionality as a 'ventilated roof'. It is installed by placing the prefabricated tiles on the previously waterproofed rooftop. Additional to the insulation effect, it will also protect the waterproofing coat from harmful UV rays and sudden temperature changes. The tiles can be handled by one person. Experiments show that a white layer applied to the upper surface of the tile will reduce the absorption of solar radiation and get lower indoor temperatures. The bottom has a geometry that allows airflow and good drainage of rainwater in order to avoid water stagnation.

Some of the main differences of this product with others from the insulation market are that the crumb rubber comes from scrap tires and is porous and permeable to draw the hot air from the roof reducing energy requirements for cooling. It reduces the waste/pollution problem that tires pose, such as fire emissions, rodents and mosquitoes. The TermoLLanta tiles can be easily removed for repairs or to move to another home. Portability makes it especially suited for rented homes. TermoLlanta reduces storm water runoff because the tile pores reduces the flow rate and retains some of the water by surface tension, once the sun rises water is evaporated causing a cooling effect by evaporation.

To recapitulate, this system aims to generate improved indoor conditions while solving health problems, air pollution by greenhouse gas emissions and tire fires toxins, as well as to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.