Development of High Performance Stucco for Durable Housing Construction

Moisture management in the building envelope plays an important role determining long-term durability and serviceability of Canadian houses. Improper or inadequate moisture management has caused severe damages in the Canadian houses. In many cases, building materials may not be able to compensate for deficiencies in the wall design and construction. Service life, as a result of these deficiencies, is shortened in the areas of heavy and sustained rainfall. In such a situation, it is important to develop a proper understanding of the mechanisms of moisture transport into and out of the building envelope, address the deficiencies, incorporate design features that will reduce moisture loading on the wall, and consider the modification of the hygrothermal properties of the building materials. In the latter case, such modifications of the hygrothermal properties of the building material can be engineered through innovative manufacturing technique and the material evolved through the process can lead to better moisture management in the building envelope.Le contr\uf4le de l'humidit\ue9 dans l'enveloppe de b\ue2timent joue un r\uf4le important dans la d\ue9termination de la durabilit\ue9 et de la tenue en service \ue0 long terme des maisons canadiennes. Au Canada, le contr\uf4le de l'humidit\ue9 insuffisant ou inad\ue9quat a dans le pass\ue9 caus\ue9 d'importants dommages \ue0 des maisons. Dans de nombreux cas, les mat\ue9riaux de construction pouvaient ne pas \ueatre capables de compenser les manques dans la conception et la construction des murs. La dur\ue9e de vie utile, en cons\ue9quence de tels manques ou d\ue9ficiences, se trouve raccourcie dans les r\ue9gions \ue0 pluviosit\ue9 forte ou soutenue. En pareille situation, il est important de d\ue9velopper une juste compr\ue9hension des m\ue9canismes de la migration de l'humidit\ue9 dans l'enveloppe du b\ue2timent et hors de celle-ci, de corriger ces manques ou d\ue9ficiences, d'incorporer des caract\ue9ristiques de conception qui r\ue9duiront la charge d'humidit\ue9 sur le mur et d'envisager la modification des propri\ue9t\ue9s hygrothermiques des mat\ue9riaux de construction.Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye