Effect of freezing and thawing on the performance of “capillary active” insulation systems: a comparison of results from climate chamber study to HAM modelling

Abstract

A climate chamber test was carried out to study the effects of freezing and thawing on strength and hygrothermal performance of three interior insulation systems: autoclaved aerated concrete, calcium silicate and expanded perlite insulation. Wall assemblies were monitored for temperature, relative humidity, moisture content and heat flux during dryout, preconditioning and freeze-thaw cycling. Pull-off strength was tested to detect changes in the material structure caused by freeze-thaw cycles.Significant drop in strengths was detected for most of the setups. Comparison of measurement and hygrothermal modelling (IBK Delphin) results illustrates that even if state-of-the-art material data is available for HAM modelling, the reality may turn out to be vastly different, especially in the range of high moisture contents.