Thermal behavior of walls exposed to moisture phenomena: Method of analysis

The research Studies the moisture problem in buildings. A methodological model which evaluates and compares the hygrothermal behavior in external walls Under natural humidity conditions has been developed. Therefore, two softwares are used, WUFI 3.2 Pro and TRNSYS 1 5 With this model a house of 85 m(2) placed in five different cities of Chile is analyzed. The analysis is centred in the integral evaluation of the following variables: interior room temperature, thermal comfort model of PPD and PMV (Fanger's Theory), humidity content in external walls throughout the time, conditions for the growth of mould and energy demand of the house. At the beginning, the evacuation was made in concrete and masonry exterior walled houses, which were typically used in Chile. Then, two alternatives of new constructive solutions were proposed for each type of traditional building materials, adding materials able to decrease the humidity inside the walls and also reduce the thermal transmittance, which improve the comfort conditions in the house.