Microclimate measurements in ventilated air gaps – instrumentation and first results

Abstract

To achieve energy efficient buildings, the requirements for air tightness in Norway were strengthened in the recent years. Thus, the use of tape for tightening connections and overlaps in the wind barrier and vapour barrier layer has become more and more common. Since these products are covered by a façade cladding and hence difficult to access, they need to maintain their performance level over many years, usually 25 to 30 years. To design test methods to ensure the performance of tapes and other products used in the ventilated air gap, more knowledge on the climatic conditions, especially temperature conditions, is needed. The recently finished ZEB Lab building in Trondheim, Norway, has been instrumented with thermocouples to monitor the temperature conditions in the air gap. This study presents the instrumentation set up and first findings from the start of the experiment in summer 2020. First results show temperature levels up to 76°C in the upper part of the roof construction.