Measured Impact of Material Settlement in a Timber-Frame Wall with Loose Fill Insulation

Loose-fill thermal insulations in timber-frame structures are designed to provide efficient thermal protection with the ability to fill intricate details. In a previous study, we detected several air cavities formed in timber-framed wall samples filled with loose-fill mineral fiber insulation. This discovery led us to retrofit the walls by adding appropriate insulation, thus enabling us to evaluate the importance of proper amendment. This paper focuses on a wall fragment with an 80 mm high air gap at the top and a 30 mm high cavity in the middle of the wall height. The following paper compares data collected before the discovery and after the replenishment (refill of air gaps with additional insulation), evaluating potential thermal performance improvement. We were able to quantify the impact of these defects on the external wall exposed to realistic conditions. Based on temperature and relative humidity measurements, the results show significant advancement in the middle of wall thickness with an 8 °C and 45% difference. The results show that although this defect did not directly affect the energy balance of the building, it significantly increases the risk of mold growth due to thermal bridging.

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