Hygrothermal Performance Evaluation of Multi-functional Panels for Building Envelope in Various Climate Conditions

• Author / Creator

  Secchi, Lana

• There is an increasing concern worldwide to discover ways to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers are working in various industry sectors to discover environmentally-friendly solutions to produce goods and services. In the building sector, research focuses on the use of energy-efficient solutions for building design, construction, and operation. The research presented in this thesis investigates and evaluates the long-term hygrothermal performance of multi-functional panels (MFPs) in various wall assembly configurations to improve energy efficiency for residential buildings under varying climatic conditions. The MFPs are used as an additional layer attached to the exterior side of conventional wood-frame wall assemblies. The MFPs under investigation combine two layers of wood sheathing with other elements, such as wood fibre and Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) insulation, as additional external layers to conventional light wood-frame wall assemblies in order to improve the overall energy efficiency of conventional wall assemblies. Field monitoring data was collected for two years, was analyzed, and comparisons between the two MFPs and a conventional wall assembly were made. For a complete analysis, the evaluation was conducted using real-life scenarios in test huts situated in two different climates in Canada: Vancouver, British Columbia, with a coastal humid climate; and Edmonton, Alberta, with an extremely cold climate in winter. This study will provide a field hygrothermal investigation for the application of wood fibre insulation—an environmentally-friendly and recyclable material—for the North American housing market.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Multi-functional Panels
  • Hygrothermal Performance

• Graduation date

  Fall 2020

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-sws2-q211

• License

  Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.