Main content:
Material data for structurally and hygrothermally optimised renovation
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MASEA database – detailed material data for the renovation of buildings helps to prevent structural damage
© Fraunhofer IBP
When renovating old buildings, problems such as mould formation or corrosion often occur that usually stem from a lack of knowledge. For example, there is often insufficient knowledge about the moisture characteristics of the construction materials used in the original construction and those used today. MASEA, a materials database that is freely accessible online, now provides detailed hygrothermal material characteristics for a wide selection of typical construction materials. The data collection is the result of a research project in which comprehensive data were largely acquired and compiled using specially developed measurement processes. The data can also be used for planning tools in order to quantify the impact of the planned construction measures on the hygrothermal behaviour of the building structure and to assess the risk of damage.
Technology summary
| Software type | Online-Tool |
|---|---|
| Term of project | 03/2003 bis 09/2007 |
| Identification code | MASEA |
| Download at | |
| Terms of use | free |
| Key aspects |
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Project description
As part of the “material data collection for the energy-oriented renovation of old buildings” research project, a comprehensive, publicly accessible data catalogue was developed for which the necessary material characteristic values and measurement processes were first determined. A list of typical materials was then compiled that have been used in existing buildings. The material characteristic values were either drawn from literature or determined in the project’s own testing laboratory.
The materials database is available online. On the one hand, this should enable updating and control of the database by industry and research; on the other hand this instrument can provide a broad calculation basis for energy-oriented planning software such as WUFI®, DELPHIN® and EPASS-HELENA® as well as for other software tools. Software tools for the energy-oriented renovation of buildings can be used to quantify the impact of measures on the hygrothermic behaviour of the building structure and to assess the risk of damage. Although these have been well proven in practice, their limits lie in the lack of exact material characteristic values, since every prognosis and calculation is only as good as the knowledge of the available materials.
What’s it about?
The existing stock of old buildings, which constitutes approximately 80% of all buildings, has the greatest potential for reducing energy consumption. Major energy savings can be made in this area through construction measures such as thermal insulation, using solar radiation or improving the interior climate through heating, ventilation or cooling. Since the German Energy Saving Ordinance EnEV came into force in February 2002, guidelines on energy-related and structural thermal protection also apply to the renovation of old buildings. This makes the planners’ task more complex. While building developers are usually more interested in finding the most cost-effective solution for complying with the regulations, it is the planners who, with the same intention, have to implement the renovation measures for specific stocks of buildings. Unprofessional and structurally flawed renovation of buildings can cause serious damage. For example, problems often occur with the renovation of old buildings, such as mould formation or corrosion, which usually stem from limited knowledge of the moisture characteristics of the construction materials used in the original construction and those used today.
The physical construction properties of modern products often have to accord with the historical materials found in the existing building stock. The choice of materials used for repair work is correspondingly limited. However, until now there has been no interlinked or extensive collection of hygrothermal material characteristic values that can also be used as the basis for the available planning software.
A detailed description of the building climate characteristics of as many construction materials as possible would therefore provide a sound basis for correct renovation in terms of the building physics, whereby MASEA now provides users and producers of planning software with an extensive database of material characteristic values for historically used and modern building materials.
What has been achieved until now?
Materials have been selected that can be considered representative for the energy-oriented renovation of old buildings. The result is a catalogue structured according to different categories, such as bricks, plaster types and woods. The specific construction materials under investigation are allocated to these categories. In addition to familiar construction materials, materials are also represented that are no longer in use but which can be found in old buildings, such as broken-brick concrete, which was an important construction material in the post-war period. Other construction materials are used today that accord with historical models but differ in their composition and manufacturing technology from the old construction materials.
Project partners
The Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) conducted the investigation in collaboration with the Institute for Building Climatology (IBK) at the TU Dresden and Zentrum für Umweltbewusstes Bauen e.V. (ZUB) in Kassel.
Next steps
The materials database will be continuously expanded and updated to include current and new construction materials. The database currently contains 476 materials. Both producers of construction materials and research facilities can provide further material characteristic values, whereby a particular focus is on materials that are relevant to the renovation of old buildings.
Application-ready product
MASEA database at http://www.irb.fraunhofer.de/denkmalpflege/angebote_partner/masea/
