Conceptual Reference Database for Building Envelope Research Prev
Next

Environmental chamber for investigation of building envelope performance

Fazio, P., Athienitis, A., Marsh, C. and Rao, J.
1997
Journal of Architectural Engineering, 3(2): 97-103

Fazio, P., Athienitis, A., Marsh, C. and Rao, J., (1997), "Environmental chamber for investigation of building envelope performance", Journal of Architectural Engineering, 3(2): 97-103.
Abstract:
This paper describes the design and development of an environmental chamber for investigation of building envelope performance as a function of heat, air, and moisture transfer, and the interaction between the building envelope and the indoor environment. The environmental chamber is the first of its kind in Canada and is unique in concept. It is located in a specially constructed laboratory of the Centre for Building Studies (CBS), in downtown Montreal. Experiments can be performed on envelope assemblies up to 7.2 m high and 4.1 m wide. The environmental chamber consists of two chambers representing dynamic indoor and outdoor conditions, denoted as hot and cold boxes, respectively. Between the hot and cold boxes, a rectangular frame is sandwiched, in which building envelope components can be built up. A metering box is also located on the hot box side of the test specimen to measure heat flow and temperature drop across it for thermal resistance measurement based on the guarded hot box method. Without the metering chamber, the facility can be used for tests similar to the calibrated hot box method. The second major function of the facility is its use as one large environmental chamber for testing full rooms.

The document can be download in Adobe Acrobat format at: download
Related Resources:

This publication in whole or part may be found online at: This link has not been checked.here.
Related Concepts

Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Fazio, P.
Paul Fazio, Professor of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. A limit state design (LSD) approach for comparing relative drying performance of wood-frame envelope systems with full-scale lab, A roadmap towards intelligent net zero- and positive-energy buildings,
  2. A new test method to determine the relative drying capacity of building envelope panels of various configurations
  3. A new testing method to evaluate the relative drying performance of different building envelope systems using water trays
  4. A quantitative study for the measurement of driving rain exposure in the Montr¨¦al region
  5. A review of research activities in energy efficiency in buildings in Canada
  6. Airtightness testing and air flow modeling of two and three-unit multifamily buildings
  7. Airtightness testing of two- and three-unit buildings with a single fan
  8. Approach for the simulation of wetting due to rain infiltration for building envelope testing
  9. Approach for urban driving rain index by using climatological data recorded at suburban meteorological station
  10. Behavior of wall assemblies with different wood sheathings wetted by simulated rain penetration
  11. Building Physics: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics
  12. Building pressurisation can affect possibility of mould growth
  13. Cavity pressure in rain screen walls
  14. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  15. Continuous folded plate structures under uniform load
  16. Creative case adaptation for building engineering design
  17. Design and construction of an environmental chamber facility
  18. Design Methodology of Solar Neighborhoods
  19. Development of experimental procedure to evaluate potential movement of mold spores from wall cavity to indoor environment
  20. Development of HAM tool for building envelope analysis
  21. Effect of capillarity on rainwater penetration in the building envelope
  22. Essai sur les toits plats isol¨¦s ¨¤ la fibre de cellulose
  23. Evaluation of radiance's genBSDF capability to assess solar bidirectional properties of complex fenestration systems
  24. Experimental evaluation of potential transport of mold spores from moldy studs in full-size wall assemblies
  25. Experimental setup for the study of air leakage patterns
  26. Experimental study of temperature distributions across two curtain wall systems
  27. Folded sandwich plate structures
  28. Identification and transport investigation of microbial volatile organic compounds in full-scale stud cavities
  29. IFC-based framework for evaluating total performance of building envelopes
  30. Impact of added insulation on air leakage patterns
  31. Impact of air leakage pattern on reinsulated walls
  32. In-cavity evaporation allowance--A drying capacity indicator for wood-frame wall system
  33. Influence of air space on multi-layered material water vapor permeability measurement
  34. Influence of facade geometry on weathering
  35. Integrated analysis of whole building heat, air and moisture transfer
  36. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test hut: Part 1 - Experimental study
  37. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test-hut: Part 2- CFD study
  38. Large scale testing of two flat roof assemblies insulated with cellulose
  39. Mapping of air leakage in exterior wall assemblies
  40. Measuring air leakage characteristics with flexible double air chambers
  41. Measuring air leakage of full-scale curtain wall sections using a non-rigid air-chamber method
  42. Methods for the assessment of moisture content of envelope assemblies
  43. Modeling of moisture behavior of wood planks in nonvented flat roofs
  44. Modelling of indoor air humidity: the dynamic behaviour within an enclosure
  45. Moisture buffering capacities of five North American building materials
  46. Moisture performance of leaky exterior walls with added insulation
  47. Nonlinear elastic analysis of panelized shear sandwich walls
  48. Numerical investigation of the influence of room factors on HAM transport in a full-scale experimental room
  49. Performance evaluation protocol for full-scale wood-frame building envelopes
  50. Potential of rain screen walls to prevent rain penetration: pressurized cavity principle
  51. Quantitative driving rain exposure on a vertical wall at various Canadian cities
  52. Rapport Final Projet Site Internet - L'enveloppe du batiment et l'efficacit¨¦ ¨¦nerg¨¦tique
  53. Review and framework for large-scale laboratory studies on wetting and drying of building envelopes
  54. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies
  55. Study on thermal performance of curtain walls using infrared thermography
  56. Test method to measure the relative capacity of wall panels to evacuate moisture from their stud cavity
  57. Testing of flat roofs insulated with cellulose fiber
  58. The dynamic modelling of air humidity behaviour in a multi-zone space
  59. Transfer of heat, moisture and air through metal curtain walls
  60. Transient model for coupled heat, air and moisture transfer through multilayered porous media
  61. Use of an environmental chamber to investigate large-scale envelope specimen hygrothermal performance  
Athienitis, A.
Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. A methodology for simulation of daylight room illuminance distribution and light dimming for a room with a controlled shading device
  2. A prototype photovoltaic/thermal system integrated with transpired collector
  3. A review of research activities in energy efficiency in buildings in Canada
  4. A study of design options for a building integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) system with glazed air collector and multiple inlets
  5. Building simulation in a mathematical programming environment
  6. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  7. Daylighting performance evaluation of a bottom-up motorized roller shade
  8. Design and construction of an environmental chamber facility
  9. design and thermal performance of a BIPV/T system thermally coupled with a ventilated concrete slab in a low energy solar house: Part 2, ventilated concrete slab
  10. Design Methodology of Solar Neighborhoods
  11. Essai sur les toits plats isol¨¦s ¨¤ la fibre de cellulose
  12. Experimental study of the thermal performance of a large institutional building with mixed-mode cooling and hybrid ventilation
  13. Impact of air leakage pattern on reinsulated walls
  14. Indoor thermal environmental conditions near glazed facades with shading devices ?Part I: Experiments and building thermal model
  15. Investigation of the thermal performance of a passive solar test-room with wall latent heat storage
  16. Modeling of energy performance of a house with three configurations of building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal systems
  17. Modeling, design and thermal performance of a BIPV/T system thermally coupled with a ventilated concrete slab in a low energy solar house: Part 1, BIPV/T system and house energy concept
  18. Numerical model of a building with transparent insulation
  19. Simulation of fa?ade and envelope design options for a new institutional building
  20. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies
  21. Testing of flat roofs insulated with cellulose fiber
  22. Use of an environmental chamber to investigate large-scale envelope specimen hygrothermal performance  
Marsh, C.
Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. Design and construction of an environmental chamber facility  
Rao, J.
Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. A limit state design (LSD) approach for comparing relative drying performance of wood-frame envelope systems with full-scale lab, A roadmap towards intelligent net zero- and positive-energy buildings,
  2. A new test method to determine the relative drying capacity of building envelope panels of various configurations
  3. A new testing method to evaluate the relative drying performance of different building envelope systems using water trays
  4. Building Physics: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics
  5. Building pressurisation can affect possibility of mould growth
  6. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  7. Design and construction of an environmental chamber facility
  8. Development of experimental procedure to evaluate potential movement of mold spores from wall cavity to indoor environment
  9. Development of HAM tool for building envelope analysis
  10. Effect of capillarity on rainwater penetration in the building envelope
  11. Evaluation of radiance's genBSDF capability to assess solar bidirectional properties of complex fenestration systems
  12. Experimental evaluation of potential transport of mold spores from moldy studs in full-size wall assemblies
  13. Experimental study of temperature distributions across two curtain wall systems
  14. Identification and transport investigation of microbial volatile organic compounds in full-scale stud cavities
  15. In-cavity evaporation allowance--A drying capacity indicator for wood-frame wall system
  16. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test hut: Part 1 - Experimental study
  17. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test-hut: Part 2- CFD study
  18. Measuring air leakage characteristics with flexible double air chambers
  19. Measuring air leakage of full-scale curtain wall sections using a non-rigid air-chamber method
  20. Numerical investigation of the influence of room factors on HAM transport in a full-scale experimental room
  21. Review and framework for large-scale laboratory studies on wetting and drying of building envelopes
  22. Statistical analysis of microbial volatile organic compounds in an experimental project: identification and transport analysis
  23. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies
  24. Test method to measure the relative capacity of wall panels to evacuate moisture from their stud cavity
  25. Transfer of heat, moisture and air through metal curtain walls
  26. Use of an environmental chamber to investigate large-scale envelope specimen hygrothermal performance  


CRDBER, at CBS, BCEE, ENCS, Concordia,