UCL Discovery Stage
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery Stage

Climate Resilience of Internally-Insulated Historic Masonry Assemblies: Comparison of Moisture Risk under Current and Future Climate Scenarios

Lu, J; Marincioni, V; Orr, SA; Altamirano-Medina, H; (2021) Climate Resilience of Internally-Insulated Historic Masonry Assemblies: Comparison of Moisture Risk under Current and Future Climate Scenarios. Minerals , 11 (3) , Article 271. 10.3390/min11030271. Green open access

[thumbnail of Lu2021.pdf]
Preview
Text
Lu2021.pdf - Published Version

Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract

The conservation of cultural heritage built of historical brick masonry alongside meeting targets in energy reduction will most likely require widespread installation of internal wall insulation (IWI). In London, traditional buildings (pre-1919) make up 40% of the existing stock and insulating from the interior is a likely retrofit solution for solid brick walls. Adding insulation may introduce a higher risk to moisture accumulation and consequences such as mould growth and material decay. To investigate resilience to future moisture loads, three interior insulation assemblies (conforming to two U-value guidelines) were simulated in DELPHIN under reference, near-future (2040), and far-future climate (2080) scenarios. Calcium silicate, phenolic foam, and wood fibre assemblies were simulated. The reference year climate file was compiled from observed data and future files developed using the UK Climate Projections 2018 (UKCP18). Assemblies were evaluated for moisture accumulation, mould growth risk, and freeze-thaw (FT) risk. Results show low-to-medium risks in 2040 and high risks in 2080, assemblies of higher absorptivity and thinner insulation comparatively performing best. The calcium silicate assembly fared best for moisture performance; however, all assemblies will be subject to high moisture risk levels in the far future and responsible retrofits must take this and alternative design solutions into account.

Type: Article
Title: Climate Resilience of Internally-Insulated Historic Masonry Assemblies: Comparison of Moisture Risk under Current and Future Climate Scenarios
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.3390/min11030271
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030271
Language: English
Additional information: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: solid walls; future climate; internal wall insulation; moisture risk; wind-driven rain; heritage
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10123638
Downloads since deposit
264Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item