Collaboration for Development of Materials for Environmental Control
The Syracuse University intends to change the basis for design of environmental (heat, air, moisture) control of building envelopes. Instead of the moisture exclusion principle (barrier approach), the design will be based on moisture balance approach. To achieve this goal one must consider specific climate and use conditions i.e., integrate the use computer modeling and laboratory testing. In many situations, with the air barrier material placed between cladding and inner wall systems, the moisture balance approach is called “dual drying wall”.
An integrated modeling and testing requires both the experimental evaluation of materials and assemblies and material characterization for input into HAM models. Both approaches are included in the materials for built environmental systems (MBES) consortium program. This research project must include development of test methods and material characterization techniques. While the development of advanced heat, air, moisture (HAM) computer models is done under a parallel independent activity, the work on material characterization is included in the MBES consortium.