Experimental data set for validation of heat, air and moisture transport models of building envelopes

This paper reports experimental studies on heat, air and moisture (HAM) transfer through a full scale light weight building envelope wall under real atmospheric boundary conditions. The main objective of the article is to generate informative data so that it can be used for numerical validation of HAM models. The considered wall is a multilayered structure built up from outside to inside of external board, vented cavity, fibreboard sheathing, mineral wool between wooden studs and interior finishing. The global wall has a surface area of (1.80 × 2.68) m2; and is subdivided into three vertical parts. The parts differ from each other by the applied interior finishing. Between the different layers of each part and on the surfaces of the wall humidity, temperature and heat flux sensors are placed in a 3D matrix. At the outer surface of the wall, the applied sheathing is a bituminous wood board. In the board nine removable specimens are included. By regularly weighing the fibreboard samples, their moisture content could be quantified. Using data collected over a total time span of about two years, insight about the hygrothermal behaviour of the different envelope parts is obtained and at the same time a well-documented data set is generated that can be used for hygrothermal envelope model validation purposes.