Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building Envelope
The objective of this study was to assess the potential effects of climate change on the moisture performance and durability of massive timber walls on the basis of results derived from hygrothermal simulations. One-dimensional simulations were run using DELPHIN 5.9.4 for 31 consecutive years of the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/35 |
| _version_ | 1797409508362813440 |
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| author | Maurice Defo Michael A. Lacasse |
| author_facet | Maurice Defo Michael A. Lacasse |
| author_sort | Maurice Defo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The objective of this study was to assess the potential effects of climate change on the moisture performance and durability of massive timber walls on the basis of results derived from hygrothermal simulations. One-dimensional simulations were run using DELPHIN 5.9.4 for 31 consecutive years of the 15 realizations of the modeled historical (1986–2016) and future (2062–2092) climates of five cities located across Canada. For all cities, water penetration in the wall assembly was assumed to be 1% wind-driven rain, and the air changes per hour in the drainage cavity was assumed to be 10. The mold growth index on the outer layer of the cross-laminated timber panel was used to compare the moisture performance for the historical and future periods. The simulation results showed that the risk of mold growth would increase in all the cities considered. However, the relative change varied from city to city. In the cities of Ottawa, Calgary and Winnipeg, the relative change in the mold growth index was higher than in the cities of Vancouver and St. John’s. For Vancouver and St. John’s, and under the assumptions used for these simulations, the risk was already higher under the historical period. This means that the mass timber walls in these two cities could not withstand a water penetration rate of 1% wind-driven rain, as used in the simulations, with a drainage cavity of 19 mm and an air changes per hour value of 10. Additional wall designs will be explored in respect to the moisture performance, and the results of these studies will be reported in a future publication. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:16:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f8d194fc5ae8438d936db97603c8ad76 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:16:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-f8d194fc5ae8438d936db97603c8ad762023-12-03T13:54:37ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092021-01-011123510.3390/buildings11020035Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building EnvelopeMaurice Defo0Michael A. Lacasse1National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, CanadaNational Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, CanadaThe objective of this study was to assess the potential effects of climate change on the moisture performance and durability of massive timber walls on the basis of results derived from hygrothermal simulations. One-dimensional simulations were run using DELPHIN 5.9.4 for 31 consecutive years of the 15 realizations of the modeled historical (1986–2016) and future (2062–2092) climates of five cities located across Canada. For all cities, water penetration in the wall assembly was assumed to be 1% wind-driven rain, and the air changes per hour in the drainage cavity was assumed to be 10. The mold growth index on the outer layer of the cross-laminated timber panel was used to compare the moisture performance for the historical and future periods. The simulation results showed that the risk of mold growth would increase in all the cities considered. However, the relative change varied from city to city. In the cities of Ottawa, Calgary and Winnipeg, the relative change in the mold growth index was higher than in the cities of Vancouver and St. John’s. For Vancouver and St. John’s, and under the assumptions used for these simulations, the risk was already higher under the historical period. This means that the mass timber walls in these two cities could not withstand a water penetration rate of 1% wind-driven rain, as used in the simulations, with a drainage cavity of 19 mm and an air changes per hour value of 10. Additional wall designs will be explored in respect to the moisture performance, and the results of these studies will be reported in a future publication.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/35massive timber wallshygrothermal simulationsclimate changemoisture performancedurabilitymold growth risk |
| spellingShingle | Maurice Defo Michael A. Lacasse Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building Envelope Buildings massive timber walls hygrothermal simulations climate change moisture performance durability mold growth risk |
| title | Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building Envelope |
| title_full | Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building Envelope |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building Envelope |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building Envelope |
| title_short | Effects of Climate Change on the Moisture Performance of Tallwood Building Envelope |
| title_sort | effects of climate change on the moisture performance of tallwood building envelope |
| topic | massive timber walls hygrothermal simulations climate change moisture performance durability mold growth risk |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/35 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mauricedefo effectsofclimatechangeonthemoistureperformanceoftallwoodbuildingenvelope AT michaelalacasse effectsofclimatechangeonthemoistureperformanceoftallwoodbuildingenvelope |