Ventilation system for drying out buildings after a flood: Influence of the building material

Abstract

ABSTRACTPortugal’s most striking buildings were usually built near waterways and on floodplains due to easier access to water supply. This proximity, besides causing an increased probability of pathologies due to rising damp also brings a higher exposure to the risk of flooding. After the occurrence of a flood, all building elements below the flood water level will remain with high water contents, with all the negative consequences that this fact can cause, namely, the degradation of the materials. Therefore, it is very important to promote the fast drying of these building elements to prevent worse consequences, either structural, safety, or heritage conservation. In a recent investigation undertaken under a collaboration project involving the University of Coimbra and University of Porto, an innovative treatment system to combat rising damp in historical buildings was developed: the wall-base ventilation system. Currently, investigations have focused on analyzing the technical feasibility of adapting this system for drying out walls of historical buildings after floods.