Hygrothermal Performance of Adobe Structures

Abstract

Vernacular architecture incorporates many cooling and heating passive design strategies related to the structural envelope, the different architectural arrangements and the way of living of the inhabitants. Adobe walls are considered to be high thermal mass masonries, as they have the ability to store thermal energy. The high thermal inertia of these materials regulates indoor temperature variations through considerable time lags, thus contributing to the improvement of thermal comfort conditions. This study deals with the environmental behaviour of an adobe historic building in the rural area of Nicosia, Cyprus. The aim of this study is the investigation of the hygrothermal performance of the external adobe masonry walls of the structure under study. For this purpose, in-situ long-term monitoring is currently being carried out, focusing on the indoor and outdoor environmental conditions of a south wall of a room which has two exposed surfaces, the north towards the street and the south towards a courtyard. The south wall is being monitored with temperature/moisture sensors, installed at various locations along its thickness and height. In situ monitoring is complemented with laboratory measurements of the thermophysical (thermal conductivity, porosity, and sorptivity) properties of the main masonry material (adobes). Rising damp height, time of wetness, thermal inertia and decrement factor have all been calculated based on the laboratory and in-situ measurements. The results are analysed in terms of existing standards and analytical equations. The findings of this research may be used to evaluate the overall thermal performance of historic adobe buildings and the effectiveness of adobe walls in the improvement of indoor comfort conditions.