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Modelling moisture conditions behind brick veneer cladding : verification of common approaches by field measurements

(2020) JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS. 44(2). p.95-120
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Abstract
Cavity walls consisting of an outer leaf, a cavity and an inner leaf are a widespread building enclosure configuration because of their good performance regarding rain tightness. To increase the drying potential, open head joints are typically provided in the brick outer leaf, creating cavity ventilation. Even though this cavity ventilation has a limited effect on the drying out of the brick veneer, it can significantly reduce the moisture levels inside the cavity. This might be crucial when the brick veneer is combined with, for example, a wooden load-bearing wall. A reliable prediction of the cavity moisture levels is hence essential. However, previous studies showed that the ventilation rate in the cavity is highly fluctuating in both magnitude and direction. That is why most numerical models simplify cavity ventilation by neglecting it, replacing it by an equivalent resistance, assuming a constant air change rate and so on. This article verifies common assumptions in numerical models to incorporate cavity ventilation behind a brick veneer cladding, by confronting the simulations with detailed field studies. The results showed that for walls exposed to driving rain and solar radiation, most simplified one-dimensional simulations do not suffice to predict the moisture content in the cavity in a reliable way. Only with two-dimensional simulations, incorporating the airflow in the cavity, a good agreement with the in situ measurements was obtained. Furthermore, the two-dimensional models showed to be able to capture the moisture gradient along with the height of the wall rather precisely.
Keywords
Cavity ventilation, brick veneer cladding, hygrothermal conditions, numerical model, field tests, CAVITY VENTILATION

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MLA
Vanpachtenbeke, Michiel, et al. “Modelling Moisture Conditions behind Brick Veneer Cladding : Verification of Common Approaches by Field Measurements.” JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS, vol. 44, no. 2, 2020, pp. 95–120, doi:10.1177/1744259120908283.
APA
Vanpachtenbeke, M., Langmans, J., Van den Bulcke, J., Van Acker, J., & Roels, S. (2020). Modelling moisture conditions behind brick veneer cladding : verification of common approaches by field measurements. JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS, 44(2), 95–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744259120908283
Chicago author-date
Vanpachtenbeke, Michiel, Jelle Langmans, Jan Van den Bulcke, Joris Van Acker, and Staf Roels. 2020. “Modelling Moisture Conditions behind Brick Veneer Cladding : Verification of Common Approaches by Field Measurements.” JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS 44 (2): 95–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744259120908283.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Vanpachtenbeke, Michiel, Jelle Langmans, Jan Van den Bulcke, Joris Van Acker, and Staf Roels. 2020. “Modelling Moisture Conditions behind Brick Veneer Cladding : Verification of Common Approaches by Field Measurements.” JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS 44 (2): 95–120. doi:10.1177/1744259120908283.
Vancouver
1.
Vanpachtenbeke M, Langmans J, Van den Bulcke J, Van Acker J, Roels S. Modelling moisture conditions behind brick veneer cladding : verification of common approaches by field measurements. JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS. 2020;44(2):95–120.
IEEE
[1]
M. Vanpachtenbeke, J. Langmans, J. Van den Bulcke, J. Van Acker, and S. Roels, “Modelling moisture conditions behind brick veneer cladding : verification of common approaches by field measurements,” JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 95–120, 2020.
@article{8656556,
  abstract     = {{Cavity walls consisting of an outer leaf, a cavity and an inner leaf are a widespread building enclosure configuration because of their good performance regarding rain tightness. To increase the drying potential, open head joints are typically provided in the brick outer leaf, creating cavity ventilation. Even though this cavity ventilation has a limited effect on the drying out of the brick veneer, it can significantly reduce the moisture levels inside the cavity. This might be crucial when the brick veneer is combined with, for example, a wooden load-bearing wall. A reliable prediction of the cavity moisture levels is hence essential. However, previous studies showed that the ventilation rate in the cavity is highly fluctuating in both magnitude and direction. That is why most numerical models simplify cavity ventilation by neglecting it, replacing it by an equivalent resistance, assuming a constant air change rate and so on. This article verifies common assumptions in numerical models to incorporate cavity ventilation behind a brick veneer cladding, by confronting the simulations with detailed field studies. The results showed that for walls exposed to driving rain and solar radiation, most simplified one-dimensional simulations do not suffice to predict the moisture content in the cavity in a reliable way. Only with two-dimensional simulations, incorporating the airflow in the cavity, a good agreement with the in situ measurements was obtained. Furthermore, the two-dimensional models showed to be able to capture the moisture gradient along with the height of the wall rather precisely.}},
  articleno    = {{1744259120908283}},
  author       = {{Vanpachtenbeke, Michiel and Langmans, Jelle and Van den Bulcke, Jan and Van Acker, Joris and Roels, Staf}},
  issn         = {{1744-2591}},
  journal      = {{JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS}},
  keywords     = {{Cavity ventilation,brick veneer cladding,hygrothermal conditions,numerical model,field tests,CAVITY VENTILATION}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{1744259120908283:95--1744259120908283:120}},
  title        = {{Modelling moisture conditions behind brick veneer cladding : verification of common approaches by field measurements}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1177/1744259120908283}},
  volume       = {{44}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}

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