Areas of Activity
- Building materials hygrothermal properties measurement;
- Comfort and energy efficiency – in-situ monitoring and simulation;
- Hygrothermal performance of green roofs;
- Assessment of moisture migration through materials interface;
- Study of materials drying process;
- Building degradation by salt attach;
- Treatment of rising damp (hygro-regulated wall base ventilation system);
- Building assessment with infrared thermography for building diagnosis;
- Predicted Human Life Quality;
- In-situ assessment of buildings airtightness and ventilation rates;
- Study of overheating problems in buildings;
- Characterisation of museums hygroscopic inertia;
- Establishment of a benchmark for School Buildings;
- Study of hygrothermal pathologies and use of ICT for the dissemination of knowledge;
- Moisture in cultural heritage;
- 3D printing in construction – hygrothermal and geometrical studies.
Relevant Consultancy Services
- Hygrothermal behavior in service evaluation – social housing, schools, old buildings and monumental heritage;
- Thermographic Studies;
- Green roofs performance assessment;
- Thermal mortars performance evaluation;
- Rising damp control and flood drying – wall base hygro-ventilation system;
- Pathologies studies associated with hygrothermal problems;
- Facades and roofs systems and components development.
Resources
- Laboratory resources that allow measuring: moisture content (gamma ray and TDR); water absorption; water vapor permeability; liquid water permeability; hygroscopic curves; dimensional variation with relative humidity; thermal conductivity; durability; pull-off and mechanical testing on façade coatings; ventilation flow; temperature, relative humidity and CO2. ∙ Hygrothermal software use and development.
- Hygrothermal software use and development.
Principal Investigator
Prof.ª Ana Sofia Guimarães (anasofia@fe.up.pt)