EIFS in China - History, Codes and Standards, Features, and Problems

Exterior Insulated Finishing System (EIFS) was introduced into China in the early 1980's. Since then, it has gone through several stages of development and is now enjoying the largest market share among all energy-efficient wall systems. The history of EIFS gradually becoming the most common energy-efficient exterior wall system is briefly reviewed. China has a series of EIFS-related codes and standards that can be divided into two categories: (1) codes and standards on building energy efficiency in general, (2) codes and standards specifically addressing EIFS. This paper reviews these codes and standards with a focus on the important regulations that are different from those in North America and Europe. Chinese EIFS has some features and problems that may or may not exist in its foreign counterparts. These features and problems, along with the underlying reasons, are discussed.