Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The hygrothermal performance of assemblies can be assessed by testing and monitoring large-scale specimens exposed to realistic conditions under controlled laboratory settings. Moisture transfer cannot be measured directly, but moisture content can be monitored. A large-scale test of two flat roof assemblies filled with cellulose insulation is performed. The six-and-a-half-month test simulated a complete wetting and drying cycle from winter to summer. The wood structure and the cellulose insulation are the object of an extensive moisture content monitoring which included 102 resistance-type electronic moisture probes and 120 gravimetric specimens. The objective of this paper is to report on the changes in moisture content in the cellulose insulation as a function of the different air leakage paths.

Keywords

cellulose insulation wood frame roof moisture content large-scale testing

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Barrett, D. (2000). The Renewal of Trust in Residential Construction,Part2, Vol. Commission of Inquiry Into the Quality of Condominium Construction in British Columbia, Government of the Province of British Columbia , http://www.hpo.bc.ca/Overview/Barrettl/part%201

Fazio, P. , Derome, D. , Gerbasi, D. , Athienitis, A. and Depani, S. (1998). Testing of Flat Roofs Insulated with Cellulose Fiber , In: Proceedings of the Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings VII, ASHRAE, Clearwater Beach (Florida), pp. 3–13 .

Derome, D. and Fazio, P. (2000). Large-Scale Testing of Two Flat Roof Assemblies Insulated with Cellulose , Journal of Architectural Engineering, 6(1): 12–23 .

Fazio, P. and Derome, D. (1999). Tested Performance of Cellulose Insulation in Flat Roofs , In: Proceedings of the 5th Symposium Building Physics in the Nordic Countries, Aug. 24–26, Goteborg, Chalmers University of Technology and Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, pp. 401–408 .

Derome, D. and Fazio, P. (2000). Assessment of Moisture Build-up Potential in Nonvented Flat Roofs , In: International Building Physics Conference 2000, Sept. 18–21 , Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Fazio, P. , Athienitis, A. , Marsh, C. and Rao, J. (June 1997). An Environmental Chamber for Investigation of Building Envelope Performance , ACSE Journal of Architectural Engineering, 3(2): 97–102 .

Rose, W.B. and McCaa, D.J. (1998). Temperature and Moisture Performance of Wall Assemblies with Fiberglass and Cellulose Insulation , In: Proceedings of the DOE/ORNL/ASHRAE/BETEC/NRCC/CIBSE Conference, Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings VII, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Airconditioning Engineers, Clearwater, Florida, pp. 133–144 .

Wilkes, K.E. and Childs, P.W. (1992). Thermal Performance of Fiberglass and Cellulose Attic Insulations , In: Proceedings of ASHRAE/DOE/BETEC Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Building V, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers, Clearwater, Florida, pp. 357–367 .

Catalog of Materials Properties, Report Annex XIV.

10.

Burch, D.M. and Chi, J. (1997). MOIST a PC Program for Predicting Heat and Moisture Transfer in Building Envelope Release 3.0, NIST Special Publication 917, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Washington , 47 p.

11.

ICA, Institute of Construction and Architecture of SAS, Department of Building Physics, Slovakia, Data.

Moisture Accumulation in Cellulose Insulation Caused by Air Leakage in Flat Wood Frame Roofs

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References