• Login
    View Item 
    •   Research Bank Home
    • Study Areas
    • Construction + Engineering
    • Construction + Engineering Conference Papers
    • View Item
    •   Research Bank Home
    • Study Areas
    • Construction + Engineering
    • Construction + Engineering Conference Papers
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Impacts of an innovative residential construction method on internal conditions

    Birchmore, Roger; Tait, Robert; Pivac, Andy

    Thumbnail
    Share
    View fulltext online
    2014 Birchmore et al.pdf (3.710Mb)
    Date
    2014-09
    Citation:
    Birchmore, R., Tait, R., and Pivac, A. (2014, September). Impacts of An Innovative Residential Construction Method on Internal Conditions. Paper presented at 'Building a Better New Zealand' Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.
    Permanent link to Research Bank record:
    https://hdl.handle.net/10652/3885
    Abstract
    New Zealand houses are known for producing sub-optimal internal thermal conditions and unacceptably high internal relative humidities. These contribute to poor levels of health, mould and can coincide with the decay of structural timber frames. A proposed solution is to provide an alternative structure utilising plywood instead of building paper, a wrap on the internal face of the timber frame and an additional air gap serving as an internal service cavity, followed by the internal lining. The internal wrap is designed perform as a vapour check to prevent moisture vapour diffusion from inside into the frame and to permit moisture diffusion from outside through the structure to the internal environment. Two full scale houses had temperatures, dew points and humidity levels monitored in passive, unoccupied conditions over a full season. The test case house for the research incorporated the innovative construction solution. The second, control house was of identical design and location, using standard construction practice. The houses were situated to prevent shading each other, but in close enough proximity to be on identical sites. Results indicated that the calculated internal moisture content profile appeared to be unrelated to the external moisture content as expected in unoccupied conditions. Instead it followed the profile of the changing internal temperature. Whilst the innovative construction appeared to prevent moisture diffusion into the structure in winter and permit it inside in summer this resulted in a generally higher internal relative humidity than the control house.
    Keywords:
    New Zealand, internal moisture, housing, innovative construction, vapour check, airtightness
    ANZSRC Field of Research:
    120202 Building Science and Techniques
    Rights:
    This digital work is protected by copyright. It may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. You will recognise the author's and publishers rights and give due acknowledgement where appropriate.
    Metadata
    Show detailed record
    This item appears in
    • Construction + Engineering Conference Papers [198]

    Library home
    Send Feedback
    Research publications
    Unitec
    Moodle
    © Unitec Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92025, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142
     

     

    Usage

    Downloads, last 12 months
    38
     
     

    Usage Statistics

    For this itemFor the Research Bank

    Share

    About

    About Research BankResearch at UnitecContact us

    Help for authors  

    How to add researchOpen Access GuideVersions Toolkit

    Register for updates  

    LoginRegister

    Browse Research Bank  

    EverywhereAcademic study areasAuthorDateSubjectTitleType of researchSupervisorThis CollectionAuthorDateSubjectTitleType of researchSupervisor

    Library home
    Send Feedback
    Research publications
    Unitec
    Moodle
    © Unitec Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92025, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142