Hygrothermal performance of building envelopes in the tropics under operative conditions : condensation and mould growth risk appraisal

Poor indoor hygrothermal performance increases the risk of indoor moisture problems anddeterioration due to mould growth, corrosion and damage to archival materials. Hence,proper control of indoor thermohygric intensity abates indoor moisture and its associatedproblems. This paper presents the results of envelopes hygrothermal performanceassessments in a hot and humid climate building with varying operational profile betweenadjacent spaces. The case-studied building runs on 24hrs cooling mode in one part againstnatural and/or mechanical supply-exhaust fan means on the other. In-situ experiments werecombined with hygrothermal analytical methods to assess the envelope thermal qualitytogether with the operative conditions against condensation and mould growth risks. Theresults show that the building is overcooled leading to poor envelope hygrothermalperformance with associated condensation and mould growth problems on non-airconditioned sides of the envelopes