Comparative assessment of insulated concrete wall technologies and wood-frame walls in residential buildings: a multi-criteria analysis of hygrothermal performance, cost, and environmental footprints

In this paper, an experimental setup developed for an ongoing project to investigate the hygrothermal performance of wall systems under different climate conditions is presented. As a step toward establishing the hygrothermal performance of various wood-frame wall assemblies, this research focuses on field experimentation of two types of multi-functional panels (MFPs), along with a conventional wall assembly, in two different locations in Canada: Vancouver, British Columbia, and Edmonton, Alberta. The three wall assembly types are adjacent to one another along the north- and south-facing walls of the test huts in the two cities. This experiment focuses on the effect of the various ambient weather conditions on the two innovative MFPs and on the conventional wall assembly, and on determining the long-term hygrothermal performance of the tested assemblies; it also establishes the passive solar effect on the south-facing assemblies compared to the corresponding north-oriented assemblies. Both MFPs are fixed on the exterior side of a conventional wood-frame wall assembly. The components of the first MFP are 6.4 mm Oriented Strand Board (OSB), 40 mm wood-fiber insulationäóîan environmentally-friendly and fully recyclable materialäóîand 6.4 mm OSB, while those of the second MFP are 6.4 mm OSB, 25 mm Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) core, and 6.4 mm OSB. Along with the details of the experimental setups, some sample data is presented.

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Dataset on the hygrothermal performance of a date palm concrete wall

Data in Brief ◽

10.1016/j.dib.2019.104590 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 104590

Author(s):

Tarek Alioua ◽

Boudjemaa Agoudjil ◽

Nawal Chennouf ◽

Abderrahim Boudenne ◽

Karim Benzarti

Keyword(s):

Date Palm ◽

Concrete Wall ◽

Hygrothermal Performance

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Increasing the Seismic Resistance of Wood-frame Buildings by Applying PU Foam as Thermal Insulation

Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering ◽

10.3311/ppci.13545 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Wojciech Migda ◽

Marcin Szczepański ◽

Robert Jankowski

Keyword(s):

Structural Damage ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Substantial Reduction ◽

Mineral Wool ◽

Seismic Resistance ◽

Insulation Material ◽

Seismic Behaviour ◽

Pu Foam ◽

Frame Buildings ◽

Wood Frame

Wood-frame buildings are very common in regions that are exposed to earthquakes. Most of residential buildings are constructed using this technology; therefore, the seismic resistance of them is really essential in order to prevent human losses and structural damage. The aim of the present article is to show the results of the detailed numerical FEM analysis focused on the seismic behaviour of the wood-frame house with different in-wall insulation materials. The results of the study clearly indicate that using polyurethane (PU) foam instead of mineral wool leads to the increase in the rigidity of the structure and, therefore, to the substantial reduction in the structural response under different seismic excitations. The results also show that, generally speaking, the level of reduction in the displacement response increases with the increase in the magnitude of the earthquake, which even furthermore benefits the application of PU foam as an insulation material. It has also been concluded that the method of using PU foam can be successfully applied not only in the newly constructed wood-frame houses but also in existing ones since replacing the mineral wool with PU foam is relatively easy and not so much expensive.

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Multi-criteria analysis and ant colony optimization for seismic design of concrete residential buildings at the early stage phase: Algerian case study

Asian Journal of Civil Engineering ◽

10.1007/s42107-020-00329-w ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hamza Lanseur ◽

Marzouk Cherrared ◽

Naouel Yousfi-Halimi ◽

Fahem Moussaoui ◽

Nizar Bel Hadj Ali

Keyword(s):

Ant Colony Optimization ◽

Seismic Design ◽

Early Stage ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Ant Colony ◽

Multi Criteria Analysis

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An Experimental Study on the Drying-Out Ability of Highly Insulated Wall Structures with Built-In Moisture and Rain Leakage

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9061222 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 1222 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Klaus Viljanen ◽

Xiaoshu Lu

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficient ◽

Moisture Transfer ◽

Mineral Wool ◽

Rain Event ◽

Controversial Issues ◽

Wall Structures ◽

Hygrothermal Performance ◽

The Difference ◽

Wood Frame ◽

Heat And Moisture

The recent research on highly insulated structures presents controversial conclusions on risks in moisture safety. This paper addresses these controversial issues through investigating the hygrothermal performance of energy efficient envelope structures under high moisture loads. The experiments consist of built-in moisture and rain leakage tests in mineral wool insulated structures. A heat and moisture transfer simulation model is developed to examine the drying-out ability in both warm and cold seasons. The results show that the energy efficient structures have an excellent drying out ability against built-in and leakage moisture. The difference in the drying ability is limited compared to conventional structures. A critical leakage moisture amount reaching the insulation cavity for a wood frame wall is determined to be between 6.9–20.7 g in a single rain event occurring every other day. Further research is required to target highly insulated structures, particularly addressing water vapor diffusion and convection.

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Highly Insulated Wall Systems with Exterior Insulation of Polyisocyanurate under Different Facer Materials: Material Characterization and Long-Term Hygrothermal Performance Assessment

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma13153373 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 3373 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emishaw Iffa ◽

Fitsum Tariku ◽

Wendy Ying Simpson

Keyword(s):

Performance Assessment ◽

Control Strategy ◽

Energy Efficient ◽

Material Characterization ◽

Air Leakage ◽

Material Development ◽

Hygrothermal Performance ◽

New Construction ◽

Wood Frame

The application of exterior insulation in both new construction and retrofits is a common practice to enhance the energy efficiency of buildings. In addition to increased thermal performance, the rigid insulation can serve to keep the sheathing board warm and serve as a water-resistive barrier to keep moisture-related problems due to condensation and wind-driven rain. Polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid boards have a higher thermal resistance in comparison to other commonly used exterior insulation boards. However, because of its perceived lower permeance, its use as exterior insulation is not very common. In this study, the hygrothermal property of PIR boards with different facer types and thicknesses is characterized. The material data obtained through experimental test and extrapolation is used in a long term hygrothermal performance assessment of a wood frame wall with PIR boards as exterior insulation. Results show that PIR with no facer has the smallest accumulated moisture on the sheathing board in comparison to other insulation boards. Walls with a bigger thickness of exterior insulation perform better when no vapor barrier is used. The PIR exterior insulation supports the moisture control strategy well in colder climates in perfect wall scenarios, where there is no air leakage and moisture intrusion. In cases where there is trapped moisture, the sheathing board has a higher moisture content with PIR boards with both aluminum or fiberglass type facers. An innovative facer material development for PIR boards can help efforts targeting improved energy-efficient and durable wall systems.

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Improving the Sustainability of Traditional Dwellings in Yunnan, China: Seismic Resistance Testing of Wood-frame and Earth-Built Wall Dwellings

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11040977 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 977 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yu Bai ◽

Jing Gao ◽

Adrian Pitts ◽

Yun Gao ◽

Wenfeng Bai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Residential Buildings ◽

Residential Building ◽

Shaking Table ◽

Resistance Testing ◽

Construction Technology ◽

Seismic Capacity ◽

Future Design ◽

Earthquakes In China ◽

Building Components ◽

Wood Frame

The Southwest provinces of China are locations with a rich variety of different dwelling design typologies based on traditional cultures and ethnic groups. In this area, the Province of Yunnan has many such dwelling types, and it is also an area with most frequent earthquakes in China. The seismic problems of housing structure must therefore be solved as part of the study on sustainable development of villages to provide relevant advice for future design options. This paper reports research, which evolved over a ten-year period that deals with the seismic capacity of residential buildings. Simulations using shaking table tests were carried out to assess the performance of traditional residential structures as well with the impacts of material modifications and the structural strengthening of common residential building components found in Yunnan. Relevant and pertinent construction technology solutions that could enhance the seismic capacity of residential buildings and act as innovative improvements for the sustainability of rural dwellings are suggested.

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Insulation Type Effect on the Direct Shear Behavior of Concrete Sandwich Panel (CSP) with Non-Shear Connectors

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.663.154 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 663 ◽

pp. 154-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Tae Sik Oh ◽

Seok Joon Jang ◽

Kang Min Lee ◽

Hyun Do Yun

Keyword(s):

Reinforced Concrete ◽

Sandwich Panel ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Precast Concrete ◽

Test Results ◽

Concrete Wall ◽

Concrete Walls ◽

Shear Connectors ◽

Reinforced Concrete Walls ◽

Pull Out

Precast concrete sandwich panels (PCSP) are often used as exterior cladding of residential buildings due to thermal efficiency. PCSP systems consist of two precast reinforced concrete walls separated by a layer of insulation and connected with connectors which penetrate the insulation layer and are anchored at two precast walls. This paper provides the pull-out test results of concrete sandwich panel (CSP) with non-shear connectors. The variables in this study were the casting direction of reinforced concrete walls and types of insulation. Test results indicated that the types of insulations and casting direction have a significant effect on the bond strength between concrete wall and insulation. The effect of insulation type is notable for CSP cast horizontally concrete walls.

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