Simulation of heat and moisture induced stress and strain of historic building material

Climate change can cause not only damage, but can also destroy the basic structure of historic sites, as well as their associated interior artefacts. The evaluation of combined heat and moisture induced stress and strain (HMSS) is a valuable method in which possible damage-related processes can be predicted. This paper presents the development of one- and two-dimensional HMSS models of building materials and artefacts in the commercial finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4.1. This multiphysics software package ensures the compatibility of modelling combined physical transports, due to its flexible and adaptable platform. Validation by means of analytical, numerical and experimental solutions are also included, along with numerical simulation results. The HMSS model was found to be an adequate predictive tool to determine possible damage-related processes in building assemblies and artefacts