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Airtightness of the window-wall interface in masonry brick walls

Nathan Van Den Bossche (UGent) , Jan Moens (UGent) , Arnold Janssens (UGent) , Willem Huyghe (UGent) and Roger Sierens (UGent)
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Abstract
There is a general consensus that buildings should be well insulated in order to reduce energy losses through transmission and increasingly, attention is paid to ventilation systems as a means of controlling energy losses by integrating heat exchangers and demand controlled control algorithms. However, contrary to the use of additional insulation and the implantation of ventilation systems, the requirement for airtightness is all too often disregarded in the construction industry today. Not only because the principle of airtightness may be more difficult to put into practice, but also because the effect is generally not taken into account in energy calculations unless a blower-door measurement has been completed. It is to be noted that blower-door measurements to determine airtightness is not standard practice in most countries with a moderate climate like Belgium. In order to stimulate the implementation of airtight construction practice more research is needed on airtight solutions in particular for masonry construction as this is the predominant method of building construction in Northern Europe (excluding the Scandinavian countries). This paper focuses on the performance of different solutions for ensuring the airtightness of the window-wall interface. The continuation of the airtight plane from the plaster to the window frame by an air seal can consist of, e.g., membranes, sprayed foam, gaskets and sealant joints. The performance of these different solutions are evaluated by lab experiments on a full scale mock-up of a masonry brick wall with a typical window of 1.23m wide and 1.48m high. The airtightness is measured on a standard test rig for window frames according to the procedure given in ISO 6589 and EN 12114. Based on the results of the experiments it was possible to formulate practical guidelines in regards to airtightness installation of windows for the building industry. Depending on the objectives concerning energy-savings of a specific project it would be possible to select a limited number of window-wall interface designs that can achieve the required level of overall airtightness for the building. Different types of interfaces may be desirable for standard practice, low-energy buildings and zero-energy houses. The results derived from this experimental work will help architects and contractors evaluate the quality of interfaces during and after completion on site.

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MLA
Van Den Bossche, Nathan, et al. “Airtightness of the Window-Wall Interface in Masonry Brick Walls.” RESEARCH ON BUILDING PHYSICS, edited by Dariusz Gawin and Tomasz Kisilewicz, Technical University of Lodz, 2010, pp. 239–46.
APA
Van Den Bossche, N., Moens, J., Janssens, A., Huyghe, W., & Sierens, R. (2010). Airtightness of the window-wall interface in masonry brick walls. In D. Gawin & T. Kisilewicz (Eds.), RESEARCH ON BUILDING PHYSICS (pp. 239–246). Lodz, Poland: Technical University of Lodz.
Chicago author-date
Van Den Bossche, Nathan, Jan Moens, Arnold Janssens, Willem Huyghe, and Roger Sierens. 2010. “Airtightness of the Window-Wall Interface in Masonry Brick Walls.” In RESEARCH ON BUILDING PHYSICS, edited by Dariusz Gawin and Tomasz Kisilewicz, 239–46. Lodz, Poland: Technical University of Lodz.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Van Den Bossche, Nathan, Jan Moens, Arnold Janssens, Willem Huyghe, and Roger Sierens. 2010. “Airtightness of the Window-Wall Interface in Masonry Brick Walls.” In RESEARCH ON BUILDING PHYSICS, ed by. Dariusz Gawin and Tomasz Kisilewicz, 239–246. Lodz, Poland: Technical University of Lodz.
Vancouver
1.
Van Den Bossche N, Moens J, Janssens A, Huyghe W, Sierens R. Airtightness of the window-wall interface in masonry brick walls. In: Gawin D, Kisilewicz T, editors. RESEARCH ON BUILDING PHYSICS. Lodz, Poland: Technical University of Lodz; 2010. p. 239–46.
IEEE
[1]
N. Van Den Bossche, J. Moens, A. Janssens, W. Huyghe, and R. Sierens, “Airtightness of the window-wall interface in masonry brick walls,” in RESEARCH ON BUILDING PHYSICS, Cracow ; Lodz, Poland, 2010, pp. 239–246.
@inproceedings{1045896,
  abstract     = {{There is a general consensus that buildings should be well insulated in order to reduce energy losses through transmission and increasingly, attention is paid to ventilation systems as a means of controlling energy losses by integrating heat exchangers and demand controlled control algorithms. However, contrary to the use of additional insulation and the implantation of ventilation systems, the requirement for airtightness is all too often disregarded in the construction industry today. Not only because the principle of airtightness may be more difficult to put into practice, but also because the effect is generally not taken into account in energy calculations unless a blower-door measurement has been completed. It is to be noted that blower-door measurements to determine airtightness is not standard practice in most countries with a moderate climate like Belgium. In order to stimulate the implementation of airtight construction practice more research is needed on airtight solutions in particular for masonry construction as this is the predominant method of building construction in Northern Europe (excluding the Scandinavian countries). This paper focuses on the performance of different solutions for ensuring the airtightness of the window-wall interface. The continuation of the airtight plane from the plaster to the window frame by an air seal can consist of, e.g., membranes, sprayed foam, gaskets and sealant joints. The performance of these different solutions are evaluated by lab experiments on a full scale mock-up of a masonry brick wall with a typical window of 1.23m wide and 1.48m high. The airtightness is measured on a standard test rig for window frames according to the procedure given in ISO 6589 and EN 12114. Based on the results of the experiments it was possible to formulate practical guidelines in regards to airtightness installation of windows for the building industry. Depending on the objectives concerning energy-savings of a specific project it would be possible to select a limited number of window-wall interface designs that can achieve the required level of overall airtightness for the building. Different types of interfaces may be desirable for standard practice, low-energy buildings and zero-energy houses. The results derived from this experimental work will help architects and contractors evaluate the quality of interfaces during and after completion on site.}},
  author       = {{Van Den Bossche, Nathan and Moens, Jan and Janssens, Arnold and Huyghe, Willem and Sierens, Roger}},
  booktitle    = {{RESEARCH ON BUILDING PHYSICS}},
  editor       = {{Gawin, Dariusz and Kisilewicz, Tomasz}},
  isbn         = {{9788372833679}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{Cracow ; Lodz, Poland}},
  pages        = {{239--246}},
  publisher    = {{Technical University of Lodz}},
  title        = {{Airtightness of the window-wall interface in masonry brick walls}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}

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