Moisture buffering capacity of hygroscopic building materials: Experimental facilities and energy impact

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 1270-1282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olalekan F. Osanyintola ◽  
Carey J. Simonson
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Buffering Capacity ◽  
Energy Impact ◽  
Experimental Facilities ◽  
Moisture Buffering

scholarly journals Impact of Temperature on the Moisture Buffering Performance of Palm and Sunflower Concretes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5420
Author(s):  
Fathia Dahir Igue ◽  
Anh Dung Tran Le ◽  
Alexandra Bourdot ◽  
Geoffrey Promis ◽  
Sy Tuan Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Buffering Capacity ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Problem Analysis ◽  
Simulation Problem ◽  
Interesting Solution ◽  
Moisture Buffering

The use of bio-based materials (BBM) in buildings is an interesting solution as they are eco-friendly materials and have low embodied energy. This article aims to investigate the hygric performance of two bio-based materials: palm and sunflower concretes. The moisture buffering value (MBV) characterizes the ability of a material or multilayer component to moderate the variation in the indoor relative humidity (RH). In the literature, the moisture buffer values of bio-based concretes were measured at a constant temperature of 23 °C. However, in reality, the indoor temperature of the buildings is variable. The originality of this article is found in studying the influence of the temperature on the moisture buffer performance of BBM. A study at wall scale on its impact on the indoor RH at room level will be carried out. First, the physical models are presented. Second, the numerical models are implemented in the Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel (SPARK) suited to complex problems. Then, the numerical model validated with the experimental results found in the literature is used to investigate the moisture buffering capacity of BBM as a function of the temperature and its application in buildings. The results show that the temperature has a significant impact on the moisture buffering capacity of bio-based building materials and its capacity to dampen indoor RH variation. Using the numerical model presented in this paper can predict and optimize the hygric performance of BBM designed for building application.

scholarly journals Moisture Buffering of Multilayer Internal Wall Assemblies at the Micro Scale: Experimental Study and Numerical Modelling

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (16) ◽  
pp. 3438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dobrosława Kaczorek
Keyword(s):  
Penetration Depth ◽  
Buffering Capacity ◽  
Internal Wall ◽  
Simplified Method ◽  
Buffer Value ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Wall Assembly ◽  
Moisture Buffering ◽  
Moisture Buffer Value

In this paper, a series of experiments assessing the moisture buffer value (MBV) of four internal wall assembly samples made from hygroscopic materials was performed. A modified Nordtest protocol was used. Moisture buffer values of all the investigated wall assemblies, with varying moisture loads in the range of 50% to 80%, showed a moderate moisture buffer value (MBV: 0.5–1.0 (g·m−2·%RH−1)). The results showed that in a wall assembly where the MBV of the whole assembly is lower than the MBV of the outer layers, the moisture-buffering capacity of the inner layer is untapped. Outer layers affect inner layers by changing their moisture-buffering capacity, which in turn changes the overall performance of the whole assembly. In addition, it was observed that if the penetration depth value of the outer layer is greater than its thickness, vapour reaches into the deeper layer and wall assemblies made of layers with materials characterized by a lower value of penetration depth reach steady state more slowly. The WUFI Pro tool was used to compare the simulated and experimental results. Despite the discrepancies between these results, it offers a simplified method, helping designers make decisions about which materials to choose to improve the moisture-buffering effect.

scholarly journals The effect of air velocity on moisture buffering

2019 ◽  
Vol 282 ◽  
pp. 02007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Cascione ◽  
Eugenio Cavone ◽  
Daniel Maskell ◽  
Andy Shea ◽  
Pete Walker
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Buffering Capacity ◽  
Climatic Chamber ◽  
Air Velocity ◽  
Speed Distribution ◽  
Velocity Correction ◽  
Air Speed ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moisture Buffering

Hygoscopic finishing materials improve the indoor hygrothermal comfort and air quality, as they reduce the extremes of variation in relative humidity. This property, known as moisture buffering, is related to the capacity of hygroscopic materials to adsorb and desorb moisture from the air. Air velocity plays an important role on the sorption performances of materials: increasing the air speed leads to increased moisture buffering capacity. In order to obtain comparable results, several moisture buffering protocols require the air speed to be constant and around 0.1 m/s during tests. However, those tests are usually performed in climatic chambers, where air speed cannot be controlled and the flow may not be homogenous. The aim of this study is to demonstrate, that positioning test specimens in different locations within the same chamber gives different moisture buffering value results, due to the non-homogenous air speed distribution. For this reason, air velocity has been monitored, measuring the differential pressure and air speed in different locations in a climatic chamber. Moisture buffering tests have been performed in six locations of the chamber and a correlation between the two analyses has been evaluated. The significance of this paper is to understand the relationship between air speed and moisture buffering performances, in order to determine an air velocity correction factor, which enables the moisture buffering value to be evaluated when existing protocols cannot be adhered.

Moisture Buffering Potential of Plasters for Energy Efficiency in Modern Buildings

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Fořt ◽  
Magdaléna Doleželová ◽  
Robert Černý
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Pore Size Distribution ◽  
Pore Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Open Porosity ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Moisture Buffering ◽  
Ventilation Systems

Moisture level significantly affects durability of constructions, their thermal performance and quality of indoor air. Since building envelopes are subjected to a moisture gradient, additional ventilation systems are employed to maintain relative humidity on the desired level. Although modern advanced ventilation systems provide sufficient air exchange rate, their wider application is in conflict with sustainability development principles due to high energy demands. Moreover, according to the European legislation related to the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (European Directives 2002/91/EC and 2010/31/EU), air tightness of building envelopes in order to provide high thermal resistance leads to large moisture loads in building interiors. Among other factors, a high level of relative humidity has negative effect on the work efficiency and health of building inhabitants. A detailed insight into building materials behavior during cyclic moisture loading was accessed within this study. The moisture buffering values of three interior plasters were investigated in order to describe influence of plasters on moderation of indoor environment. Particular materials were loaded according to the NORDTEST protocol by 8/16 h loading schema at 70/30% RH. Here, the excellent moisture buffer classification was obtained for lightweight perlite plaster (PT) with the highest total open porosity. However, contrary to the higher total open porosity of renovation plaster (PS), the core plaster (CP) achieved higher moisture buffer capacity than PS. This discrepancy refers to the influence of the pore size distribution which is, besides the total open porosity, essential for a detailed characterization of moisture buffering potential of building materials. Based on the results of Mercury intrusion porosimetry, a correlation between pore size distribution and moisture buffer value was revealed.

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