Moisture behaviour of a massive concrete slab with a low temperature floor heating system during the initial drying period

Moisture contents of a massive concrete slab at a new semi-detached house are measured during a period of three months starting from the beginning of the first heating season. The field test results were compared with the corresponding finite-element simulations. The embedded heating element has a major influence on the humidity levels of the limited zone surrounding the element. Therefore, when determining the relative humidity of a massive concrete slab with embedded floor heating elements, the measurement should always be performed at the section between the elements outside the range of the drier zone surrounding the heated conduit.