TY - GEN
T1 - Protocol to evaluate the moisture durability of energy-efficient walls
AU - Boudreaux, Philip
AU - Kehrer, Manfred
AU - Pallin, Simon
AU - Jackson, Roderick
AU - Hun, Diana
AU - Desjarlais, Andre
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 U.S. Government.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Walls account for about 8% of the energy used in residential buildings. This energy penalty can be reduced with higher insulation levels and increased airtightness. However, these measures can compromise the moisture durability and long-term performance of wall assemblies because they can lead to lower moisture tolerance due to reduced drying potential. To avert these problems, a moisture durability protocol was developed to evaluate the probability that an energy-efficient wall design will experience mold growth. This protocol examines the effects of moisture sources in walls through a combination of simulations and laboratory experiments, uses the mold growth index as the moisture durability indicator, and is based on a probabilistic approach that utilizes stochastically varying input parameters. The simulation tools used include a new validated method for taking into account the effects of air leakage in wall assemblies. This paper provides an overview of the developed protocol, discusses the probabilistic simulation approach, and describes results from the evaluation of two wall assemblies in Climate Zones 2, 4, and 6. The protocol will be used to supply builders with wall designs that are energy efficient, moisture durable, and cost-effective.
AB - Walls account for about 8% of the energy used in residential buildings. This energy penalty can be reduced with higher insulation levels and increased airtightness. However, these measures can compromise the moisture durability and long-term performance of wall assemblies because they can lead to lower moisture tolerance due to reduced drying potential. To avert these problems, a moisture durability protocol was developed to evaluate the probability that an energy-efficient wall design will experience mold growth. This protocol examines the effects of moisture sources in walls through a combination of simulations and laboratory experiments, uses the mold growth index as the moisture durability indicator, and is based on a probabilistic approach that utilizes stochastically varying input parameters. The simulation tools used include a new validated method for taking into account the effects of air leakage in wall assemblies. This paper provides an overview of the developed protocol, discusses the probabilistic simulation approach, and describes results from the evaluation of two wall assemblies in Climate Zones 2, 4, and 6. The protocol will be used to supply builders with wall designs that are energy efficient, moisture durable, and cost-effective.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053667837&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85053667837
SN - 9781939200501
T3 - Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings
SP - 223
EP - 234
BT - Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings - XIII International Conference
PB - American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
T2 - 13th International Conference on Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings 2016
Y2 - 4 December 2016 through 8 December 2016
ER -
