Hygrothermal performance of exterior wall structures using a heat, air and moisture modeling

Abstract

As recent buildings become more air tight, the natural ventilation rate is significantly reduced and it leads to difficulty in removing accumulated moisture in buildings. Hot and humid weather in summer and the large amount of moisture caused by indoor activity are the major factors of moisture problem in Korea. The hygrothermal performance of building environment has to be considered carefully to reduce condensation risk and mold growth potential, and comfortable indoor environment. In this study, heat and moisture performance of two different wall structures mainly used in Korea were investigated using WUFI simulation program. The water content of the various building materials, hygrothermal behavior of the wall structure, condensation risk and mould growth potential were identified to design comfort building environment. © 2015 The Authors.