SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 20 June 2020
STP161720180088

Approach to Incorporating Water Entry and Water Loads to Wall Assemblies When Completing Hygrothermal Modelling

Source

The long-term performance in respect to moisture management of wood-frame wall assemblies depends on the hygrothermal response of the wall to local climate loads. Critical factors in estimating the longevity of wood-frame structures include limiting the temperature range, wood moisture content, and time of exposure to conditions suitable for the onset, growth, and propagation of mold and rot to occur. Increasingly, hygrothermal simulation tools are being used to estimate the risk of formation of condensation and the presence of moisture from inadvertent water entry to a wall that, in turn, may bring about the formation of mold or wood rot to wood-frame assemblies. More recently, standards have evolved to permit systematically undertaking performance evaluations of wood-frame walls, such as ASHRAE S160, Criteria for Moisture-Control Design Analysis in Buildings, and ASTM E3054, Standard Guide for the Characterization and Use of Hygrothermal Models for Moisture Control Design in Building Envelopes. Defined within these methods are approaches to include water entry loads to the wall assembly. In this paper, a review of different methods to incorporate water entry and water loads to wood-frame wall assemblies is given and an approach is provided that is consistent with assessing the long-term performance of wall assemblies following ISO 13823, General Principles on the Design of Structures for Durability. Examples are used to demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach and compare the outcomes when using existing standards.

Author Information

Moore, Travis, V.
NRC-Construction, Building Envelope & Materials Division, Ottawa, ON, CA
Lacasse, Michael, A.
NRC-Construction, Building Envelope & Materials Division, Ottawa, ON, CA
Price: $25.00
Contact Sales
Related
Reprints and Permissions
Reprints and copyright permissions can be requested through the
Copyright Clearance Center
Details
Developed by Committee: E06
Pages: 157–176
DOI: 10.1520/STP161720180088
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7681-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7680-5