Parametric study of hygrothermal behaviour of a room made of hemp concrete

Hygrothermal properties (such as thermal conductivity, sorption isotherm, moisture diffusivity…) are required for all Heat, Air and Moisture transfer (HAM) models. The objective of this work is to study the effect of different parameters of HAM model and simulation conditions on the prediction of temperature and relative humidity in a room made of hemp concrete which is known to have a low environmental impact. After presenting its physical properties, we present equations of the HAM model with variable coefficients for a simple layer wall and for a building. Simulations are done with the environment SPARK suited to complex problems. Numerical model was validated by comparing the numerical results to analytical data available in the literature. This model is then used to analyze the sensitivities of  HAM model parameters on the indoor temperature and relative humidity profiles when the room is submitted to hygrothermal shock.