In-use conditions of air-tightening materials applied in the air gap of ventilated building envelope constructions: A parametric study for different European climates

Abstract

Abstract Materials used in the building envelope have to withstand a wide range of varying and harsh conditions over their life cycle. Particular relevance falls upon the materials used for tightening buildings, such as wind barriers and tapes, as air infiltration was found to be responsible for between 10 and 30 % of heat losses of different national building stocks in Europe. However, there is large uncertainty about the conditions a material is exposed to over a building’s service life. A validated, hygrothermal model of a zero emission office building in Trondheim, Norway was simulated with 10-year climate files from different European locations: Bergen (NO), Berlin (DE), Oslo (NO), Paris (FR), Rome (IT), Tromsø (NO), and Trondheim (NO). This was done to investigate the temperature and humidity conditions in the ventilated air gap. The results show the total and median values for temperature in the ventilated air gaps of the simulated building’s walls and roof for the investigated locations. Moreover, the maximum change compared to the previous hour and the distribution of hours in 5 °C temperature and 10 % relative humidity intervals of the roofing underlay and wall to the west are reported.