An investigation of moisture migration through building envelopes has been made using the simulation software UMIDUS of transfer of heat and mass within porous walls in 13 Brazilian cities. Both diffusion and capillary regimes are taken into account; that is, the transfer of heat and mass through the material can be analyzed simultaneously for multi-layer walls. Both conditioned and unconditioned rooms are studied. The contribution of moisture migration to the ratio of latent heat flux to the total flux through the wall is calculated, and the importances of the role that moisture plays within the building envelope is analyzed. The effect of paint on the internal surface of the wall is investigated, and rain effects on the heat transfer are also discussed. It was found that an impermeable paint on the internal surface reduces the total heat transfer through the wall as it restricts moisture movement from the wall into the room.

• HAM: computer models

1. Combined Heat, Air and Moisture (HAM) Transfer Model for Porous Building Materials
2. Comparative analysis of response-factor and finite-volume based methods for predicting heat and moisture transfer through porous building materials
3. DOMUS 2.0: a whole-building hygrothermal simulation program
4. Heat, air and moisture transfer through hollow porous blocks
5. Microbial contamination of indoor air
6. UMIDUS: a pc program for the prediction of heat and moisture transfer in porous building elements  

1. A view of energy and building performance simulation at the start of the third millennium
2. Development of a calorimeter for determination of the solar factor of architectural glass and fenestrations
3. Improvement of a measurement system for solar heat gain through fenestrations
4. UMIDUS: a pc program for the prediction of heat and moisture transfer in porous building elements