Review of climate change and hygrothermal performance of wood frame wall systems under climate change in marine climate of Vancouver

Kidanu, Mehretab (author)
Tariku, Fitsum (thesis advisor)
Science, Master of
British Columbia Institute of Technology School of Construction and the Environment (Degree granting institution)

Dissertation/thesis

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© Mehretab Kidanu, 2020. All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright heron may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphics, electronic, or mechanical including photocopying, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems – without written permission of the author.

British Columbia Institute of Technology

2020

201 pages

Buildings have a long life span which in most circumstances ranges from 50 to 100 years, throughout these service years buildings are most likely to encounter unprecedented weather conditions. Nowadays, both scientific research and physical evidences show a changing climate conditions. An increased accumulation of Green Houses Gases (GHG) on the atmosphere believed to be the leading cause. In the building sector, climate change has posed various challenges. Some of the major problems include a shift in energy demand, premature buildings enclosure damage by heavy wind-driven rain, flood and storm, increase in structural load due to strong wind, and reduced air quality caused by wildfires and biodiversity losses. Using a hygrothermal model developed in COMSOL Multiphysics Software Package, the presented research has addressed the potential impacts of climate change on wood frame walls durability for residential houses located in Vancouver. Hourly current and future weather data suitable to use in building performance analysis developed using an absolute and relative approach based on CanESM2 with CanRCM4 LE and HadCM3 with time series adjustment. Then hygrothermal simulations are conducted using current and future weather data for various wall assemblies, modeling factors, orientations, and indoor environmental conditions. Finally, the durability of the walls examined primarily based on hygrothermal model outputs with associated mold growth and deterioration effect.

Climatic changes--Vancouver (B.C.)
Wooden-frame houses--Vancouver (B.C.)

electronic

Master of Applied Science