Hygrothermal numerical simulations of hybrid timber-based façade in Bergen, under current and future climate

Abstract

A new hybrid timber façade has been developed by Staticus, Oslomet, Kaunas University and SINTEF with the goal of reducing the CO2 footprint with 70-75% and reduce the non-renewable primarily energy source with 53-56% by substituting aluminium with wood-based structures in the façade system. However, it is essential that the hybrid façade can withstand different climate conditions. A hygrothermal model in WUFI pro including two different sections of the façade will be developed. Both historical weather and future conditions will be assessed with a total of 6 different cases. One climate file is gathered manually with data from Seklima, while the other climate files are collected from WUFI and Meteonorm. The aim is to investigate if there is risk of mould growth in the construction for the location of Bergen. The results reveal that the aluminium-timber section poses no risk of mould growth. However, the section with insulation and thin sheet exceeds critical mould growth levels. Interestingly, historical climate cases tend to give more adverse results compared to future conditions. Additionally, the investigation of in-build moisture exacerbates the findings substantially