Moisture control design has to respond to all relevant hygrothermal loads
Hartwig Künzel1, Mark Dewsbury2
1Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, Holzkirchen, Germany.
Abstract:
Moisture-related damage is still a formidable cost factor in the building sector. Besides installation deficiencies, moisture control design failures are the most frequent reasons for moisture problems. Therefore, adequate moisture control analysis has become the key for sustainable buildings. However, by only focusing on vapour diffusion other important moisture loads such as driving rain, construction moisture or air infiltration are mostly neglected. Therefore, international moisture control standards often refer to simulation models for more realistic analysis, leaving many practitioners wondering how to handle these tools. To overcome this dilemma, the updated German moisture control standard has introduced a three-pathway approach for design evaluation: first, deemed to satisfy list, second, restricted Glaser calculation and third, fully fledged hygrothermal simulation. The third pathway includes the option to account for small leaks or imperfections in building envelope components. Guidelines in other countries are also embracing similar moisture control approaches which gives hope for more durable and sustainable building design. To reach this aim, moisture control should also become an integral part of the design process instead of a secondary chore.
More Related Videos
06:28Fabric Moisture Uniform Control to Study the Influence of Air Impingement Parameters on Fabric Drying Characteristics
Published on: August 19, 2019
10:16Design and Operation of a Continuous 13C and 15N Labeling Chamber for Uniform or Differential, Metabolic and Structural, Plant Isotope Labeling
Published on: January 16, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Moisture Content and Bulking of Aggregate
When aggregates are exposed to rain or sit in stockpiles, they absorb moisture, which must be...
Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in...
Masonry in Cold and Hot Weather Conditions
Other key practices include keeping masonry units...
Hydration of Cement
Design Example: Managing Concrete Workability
Heating and Cooling Curves
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
