Thermal Retrofit for Historic Massive Walls in Temperate Climates

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2020-05

Authors

Vasco Peixoto de Freitas (Author) FEUP; Magda Posani (Author) Other; Maria do Rosário Veiga (Author) Other

Conference proceedings National

Title: ENCORE 2020 – 4º Encontro de Conservação e Reabilitação de Edifícios.

Pages: 1-13

Other information

Abstract (EN): Our Historic heritage represents a not renewable nor replaceable resource that we have the duty to preserve and deliver to future generations. It is therefore fundamental to keep it in use and to carefully analyze the possible risks involved in retrofitting interventions. When a thermal retrofit is considered, many factors should be accounted for and balanced against one another. On one hand, this retrofit strategy may improve indoor comfort while lowering operational costs and energy consumptions. On the other, it is necessary to guarantee that it safeguards the origina l, unique character of the construction and the compatibility with historic materials. This work considers 3 historic buildings located in temperate climates. Information obtained via inspection, documental research and indoor environmental monitoring is used for modelling the hygrothermal behaviour of the massive walls of these three constructions, by means of advanced hygrothermal simulation tools. The possible impact of adopting thermal plasters on these walls is then evaluated with further simulations. This study is developed through the use of WUFI Pro, a software that combines mono-dimensional heat and moisture transport calculations for building components cross-section under real climate conditions. The results show that the adoption of insulation plaster doesn’t determine relevant hygrothermal risks for the walls and that even a small layer of insulation can lead to transmittance reductions above 20%, thus relevant ones. The outcomes of this work are subject to several limitations and they will be further discussed in future analyses.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13