Measurements and simulations of moisture in naturally ventilated barns in cold climates

• Main Author: Thiis, Thomas
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 8th Symposium on Building Physics in the Nordic Countries 2008
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.4122/1.1000000780; https://zenodo.org/record/3561626

ABSTRACT: New demands in farming industry in Norwegian sub-arctic regions have caused a need for larger animal buildings. To minimize the cost of the buildings, they are built without insulation. Uninsulated animal buildings in cold climates raise many new engineering challenges. Because of the lack of insulation, the walls of the buildings are exposed to a high risk of condensation. This is met with a high ventilation rate to remove the excess moisture. To monitor the risk of condensation, the indoor and outdoor climates are monitored in seven experimental barns for several years. Simulations of heat and moisture in the walls are performed with the acquired climate data and the risk of mould growth is determined. The experimental barns are placed in different climates with minimum three day temperatures ranging from -51˚C in the inland to -13˚C in the coastal zone. Also the humidity in the wooden walls is monitored for a shorter period to be able to validate the heat and moisture simulations.