Variability in moisture sorption isotherms of plywood and oriented strand board with accelerated ageing

Abstract

Simulation of heat and mass transfer in buildings can be a powerful tool in analyzing overall durability but is dependent on accurate input data. This study is a part of a larger study on the effects of moisture storage in a commercially available hygrothermal modelling software. Moisture storage has not been well measured historically due to time requirements and necessity, and the effects of moisture storage on modelling have not been studied extensively. This study measures sorption isotherms in plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing that has undergone accelerated ageing. Results have shown that ageing samples may not have a significant effect on sorption isotherms, however, this may be due to the accelerated ageing method. Common methods used in accelerated ageing of wood products were primarily designed for testing mechanical properties and were too destructive for measuring hygrothermal properties. Further refinement of the accelerated ageing methodology may yield improved data.