Hygrothermal risk assessment tool for brick walls in a changing climate

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Hygrothermal risk assessment tool for brick walls in a changing climate

Janssens, Kaat; Vandemeulebroucke, Isabeau; Marincioni, Valentina; Van Den Bossche, Nathan; (2024) Hygrothermal risk assessment tool for brick walls in a changing climate. Journal of Building Physics 10.1177/17442591241266484. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

Due to the heritage value of historical buildings, external facades can often not be modified. Therefore, in heritage buildings interior insulation is often considered when undergoing an energy renovation. However, interior retrofitting drastically changes the hygrothermal behaviour of a wall and can potentially cause moisture-related problems. Besides an interior retrofit, a changing climate might also trigger some of these damage mechanisms as parameters such as temperature and precipitation will change over time. Hygrothermal models can provide relevant insights into the risk of deterioration associated with these damage phenomena. However, these Heat, Air and Moisture (HAM) tools are commercially available but rarely used in the building industry to study deterioration risks. Translating research into practical tools and guidelines is a challenge across the whole field of building renovation. This paper aims to tackle that challenge, by means of creating a hygrothermal risk assessment tool based on 48,384 HAM-simulations for the climate of Brussels, Belgium. Seven different performance criteria are addressed and discussed: freeze-thaw damage, mould growth, wood rot, corrosion, moisture accumulation, salt efflorescence and bio-colonisation. Subsequent to a sensitivity analysis, the study further explains how these results can be translated into practice, providing building practitioners the most suitable insights and recommendations. The development of an interactive web tool to assess hygrothermal risks is demonstrated and its use and benefits are further elaborated.

Type:	Article
Title:	Hygrothermal risk assessment tool for brick walls in a changing climate
Open access status:	An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI:	10.1177/17442591241266484
Publisher version:	https://doi.org/10.1177/17442591241266484
Language:	English
Additional information:	This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords:	HAM-simulations, Interior retrofit, Deterioration risks, Masonry, Heritage, Decay
UCL classification:	UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI:	https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10196025