Nothing highlights construction shortcomings like severe winter storms. Too often, possible problems are neglected during the construction season when winter and its bad weather seem far removed. The winter of 1999 produced many ice dams on shingle roofs in central and eastern Canada. The resulting leaks caused widespread damage to ceilings, walls and interior .furnishings of many homes.
In the EU Joule project Nat Vent one of the work packages was dealing with controlled air flow inlets. During the last conference in Greece and overview was presented on availability, performances and application of controlled air flow inlets. At the presented poster an interactive IAQ computer tool was demonstrated. This tool has been improved and is now available. Some participating countries in the Nat Vent project have carried out special tests with the NatVent IAQ tool. The NatVent participants were asked to design a natural ventilation system according to their national requirements.
This paper describes a residential research facility built for the experimental measurement of the relative energy and moisture performance of various residential building envelope components and systems. The building comprises 12 test bays on an east/west axis bounded on each end by a guard bay. The eastern six test bays are framed in steel, and the western six bays are framed in wood. Each half of the building contains a symmetrical mix of vented and unvented cathedral and attic roofing systems and is built above a heated basement.
Attic ventilation 1/150 and 1/300 rules of thumb were established to avoid problems from indoor moisture. In cold regions another strong reason to ventilate roofs that slope to cold eaves is to prevent the formation of problematic icicles and ice dams. Building heat, not the sun, is responsible for the large icings that cause such problems, and roof ventilation is a direct and effective way of solving them. The authors have instrumented buildings to determine attic ventilation needs to minimize icings and have developed design guidelines for natural and mechanical ventilation systems.
The purpose of this study was to correlate building envelope performance problems which are currently being experienced in low rise wood frame residential buildings in the coastal climate of the BC Lower Mainland, with sources of moisture, and design and construction features. This study has facilitated the identification of key aspects of the design, construction, operations and maintenance processes leading to the problems, which in tum provides the construction industry with focal points for the development of solutions to the current problems.
Use of Brick Veneer/Steel Stud wall systems has preceded adequate forma} scientific investigation into its long term serviceability and safety. Of particular interest to many parties is the performance of the wall system under typical winter conditions encountered in cold climate regions of Canada. In this study, experimental investigations of three types of Brick Veneer/Steel Stud wall systems were performed using a specially built apparatus used to provide air pressure, temperature and vapour pressure differentials across test specimens.
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