Hygrothermal properties applied in numerical simulation: Interstitial condensation analysis

Abstract

The problem of moisture damage in buildings has attracted interest from the early days of the last century, but it was only with the development of hygrothermal modelling that the general topic of moisture transport in buildings became the subject of more systematic study. Today, the evaluation of the risk of interstitial condensation in building envelope components can benefit from models of different complexity levels. This article starts with the analysis of the main material properties applied in the models that can tackle interstitial condensation, regarding standardization and experimental evaluation. Additionally, two commercial programmes that support two different levels of complexity of interstitial condensation analysis are compared: the more complex WUFI 4.2 and the simpler Condensa 13788. The comparison of both programmes uses a brick wall with interior insulation. The results of this exercise allow for conclusions on the applicability of the models in view of material properties availability.