1. Use of hygrothermal modeling to validate the application of an open-cell spray-foam insulation application to a high-rise heritage building in Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Author
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Wells, John A. and Spewak, Robert
- Subjects
Skyscrapers ,Real property -- Valuation ,Sensors ,Climatic changes ,Energy efficiency ,Tall buildings ,Engineering and manufacturing industries - Abstract
The increasing cost of new building construction has made repurposing existing building stock economically more viable compared with a green site new build. In addition to capital cost benefits, increasing urban densification through repurposing existing buildings is one of the solutions for enhancing the urban environment. This paper summarizes the investigative work completed to substantially improve the energy efficiency of a heritage 10 storey building in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The investigative work for the remediation involved hygrothermal modeling to rationalize the introduction of thermal insulation to the interior face of the exterior walls. Based on the modelling, an open-cell spray foam was applied to the interior face of the masonry walls. Temperature, moisture, and relative humidity sensors were placed in various locations throughout the building to monitor the exterior walls, primarily to identify if deleterious levels of moisture were accumulating in the masonry. The results were also used to compare the in-situ performance of the building with the predicted performance from the hygrothermal models. The investigation confirmed that obtaining accurate in-situ moisture readings in masonry products is significantly impacted by initial internal moisture levels, necessitating pre-test calibration. Regardless, moisture sensor data accumulated to date indicate that after six years of monitoring, deleterious levels of moisture in the masonry and plaster are not occurring in the exterior walls, which is in good agreement with hygrothermal model results for open- cell foam. The results of this investigation confirm that the implementation of hygrothermal modeling is an effective and accurate analysis tool in the long-term durability assessment of building envelopes for heritage buildings. Key words: durability, climate change, hygrothermal modeling, heritage buildings, insulation. Ce document a ete prepare pour le numero special de la Revue canadienne de genie civil intitule << Durabilite et changement climatique >>. La hausse des couts de construction de nouveaux batiments a rendu la reaffectation du parc immo bilier existant plus viable sur le plan economique par rapport aux nouvelles constructions. En plus des avantages lies aux couts d'investissement, l'augmentation de la densification urbaine par la reaffectation des batiments existants est l'une des solutions pour ameliorer l'environnement urbain. Le present document resume les travaux de recherche effectues dans le but de gran dement ameliorer l'efficacite energetique d'un edifice a valeur patrimoniale de dix etages a Winnipeg, au Manitoba. Les travaux de recherche pour la remediation ont consiste a modeliser l'hygrothermie afin de rationaliser l'introduction d'isolant thermique a la face interieure des murs exterieurs. Selon les resultats de la modelisation, une mousse pulverisee a alveoles ouverts a ete appliquee sur la face interieure des murs de maconnerie. Des capteurs de temperature et d'humidite et d'etat hygrometrique ont ete places a divers endroits du batiment afin de surveiller les murs exterieurs, principalement pour determiner si des niveaux deleteres d'humidite s'accumulaient dans la maconnerie. Les resultats ont egalement ete utilises pour comparer le rendement in situ du batiment au rendement prevu par des modeles hygrothermiques. L'etude a confirme que l'obtention de releves precis d'humidite in situ dans les produits de maconnerie depend considerablement des niveaux d'humidite interne initiaux, ce qui necessite un etalonnage prealable aux essais. Quoi qu'il en soit, les donnees des capteurs d'humidite accumulees a ce jour indiquent, qu'apres six ans de surveillance, des niveaux deleteres d'humidite dans la maconnerie et dans le platre ne se produisent pas dans les murs exterieurs, ce qui concorde bien avec les resultats du modele hygrothermique pour la mousse a alveoles ouverts. Les resultats de cette etude confirment que la mise en oeuvre de la modelisation hygrothermique est un outil d'analyse efficace et precis dans l'evaluation de la durabilite a long terme des enveloppes des edifices a valeur patrimoniale. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : durabilite, changement climatique, modelisation hygrothermique, edifices a valeur patrimoniale, isolation., Introduction The increasing cost of new building construction has made repurposing existing building stock economically more viable compared with a green site new build. In addition to capital cost benefits, [...]
- Published
- 2019
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