Degradation of brick masonry walls in Europe and the Mediterranean: Advantages of a response-based analysis to study climate change

Vandemeulebroucke, Isabeau; Kotova, Lola; Caluwaerts, Steven; Bossche, Nathan Van Den

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109963

Cited by 19 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…Sabbioni et al published the atlas of climate change impact on European cultural heritage [1] where different analyses, maps and management strategies can be found regarding different degradation phenomena. In the factorial studies of Vandemeulebroucke et al [2,3], the impact of climate change is analysed on the hygrothermal behaviour of masonry walls for Brussels. They concluded that the impact of climate change on different performance criteria such as freeze-thaw risk, wood decay and mould growth are not the same for different representative concentration pathways or RCPs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving hygrothermal risk assessment tools for brick walls in a changing climate

Janssens,

Marincioni,

Van Den Bossche

2023

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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Due to the heritage value of historical buildings, the external facade can often not be modified. Therefore, heritage buildings require interior insulation when undergoing an energy renovation. However, interior retrofitting drastically changes the hygrothermal behaviour of a wall and can potentially cause moisture-related problems. Besides an interior retrofit, a changing climate might also trigger some of these damage mechanisms since parameters such as temperature and precipitation will change over time. It is proven that hygrothermal models can provide relevant insights into the risk of deterioration associated with these damage phenomena. Heat, Air and Moisture (HAM) tools are commercially available but rarely used in the building industry to study deterioration risks. Translating research into practical tools and guidelines is a challenge across the whole field of building renovation. This paper aims to tackle that challenge, by means of creating a hygrothermal risk assessment tool based on 48,384 HAM-simulations for the climate of Brussels, Belgium. Seven different performance criteria are addressed and discussed: freeze-thaw damage, mould growth, wood rot, corrosion, moisture accumulation, salt efflorescence and bio-colonisation. Subsequent to a sensitivity analysis, the study further investigates how these results can be translated into practice, providing building practitioners the most suitable insights and recommendations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving hygrothermal risk assessment tools for brick walls in a changing climate

Janssens,

Marincioni,

Van Den Bossche

2023

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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“…Therefore, there is currently a gaining interest in alternative materials and approaches to seal joints watertight [14][15][16][17][18]. Additionally, as it is predicted that due to climate change the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events and the amount of wind-driven rain will increase in the Northern part of Europe, the necessity for sealing materials with high resistance to wind-driven rain also further increases [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-Compressed Foam Sealing Tapes to Seal Joints between Building Envelope Components Watertight: An Experimental Assessment

Linden

Bossche

2023

Buildings

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Currently there is gaining interest in pre-compressed foam sealing tapes to seal joints watertight between different building envelope components. Little to no information is available on the parameters affecting the resistance of these foam tapes to driving rain. On the other hand, several research studies have shown that water leakages can be expected at relatively low-pressure differences and that drainage should be provided. Therefore, a study was designed to on the one hand assess the material and installation parameters that affect the watertightness of pre-compressed polyurethane foam sealing tapes impregnated with an acrylic polymer dispersion and on the other hand evaluate the potential of providing drainage possibilities, either as a two-barrier system or by means of integrated drainage cavities. It was found that the joint width, the presence of an airtight coating, and the position of the tape relative to the exterior surface affected the watertightness of the sealed joints. Notably, 87% of the evaluated foam tapes applied as a single barrier showed water leakages at pressure differences of 600 Pa or lower. Foam tapes with integrated drainage cavities, on the other hand, resulted in watertight joints up to an average pressure difference of 825 Pa.

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“…Even a relatively modest change in the heat and moisture balance of a facade can lead to a prominent increase or decrease in the number of FTC. For some future climate projections, FTC are expected to decrease as the number of times the temperature fluctuates under 0°C decreases (Vandemeulebroucke et al 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Dose-response Approach for Predicting Frost Damage with Hygrothermal Simulations

Janssens,

Feng,

Marincioni

et al. 2023

16th International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components

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Freeze-thaw degradation is one of the most prominent degradation risks of brick facades. Considering the difficulties of repairing freeze-thaw damage without replacing the materials, which may not always be an option due to heritage values, it is highly important to quantify the risk of frost damage in advance. Hygrothermal simulations have proven to be a valuable tool to assess the risk of deterioration of building facades. The performance criterion method generally applied today quantifies the number of critical freeze-thaw cycles (FTCcrit) as described by Mensinga et al (2010). This method is based on frost resistance tests that adopt high moisture contents and extremely low frost temperatures. However, building facades often experience milder frost temperatures and lower moisture contents rather than these extreme conditions. A journal article published by Feng et al. (2019) investigated the relationship of frost damage with temperature and moisture content, which enables a dose-response approach that goes beyond the existing threshold level criteria. The experimental study tested freezing temperatures from -2°C to -20°C and moisture saturation degrees from 0.1 to 1.0. This paper studies freeze-thaw risk using this advanced approach, and investigates whether the dose-response approach can lead to a clarification at what number of FTCcrit actual deterioration occurs and how this can be predicted by the use of hygrothermal simulations. Thereby, an attempt is made to derive a more representative performance criterion for frost damage.

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Degradation of brick masonry walls in Europe and the Mediterranean: Advantages of a response-based analysis to study climate change

Cited by 19 publications

References 34 publications

Improving hygrothermal risk assessment tools for brick walls in a changing climate

Improving hygrothermal risk assessment tools for brick walls in a changing climate

Pre-Compressed Foam Sealing Tapes to Seal Joints between Building Envelope Components Watertight: An Experimental Assessment

A Dose-response Approach for Predicting Frost Damage with Hygrothermal Simulations

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