Heat flux measurements in diagnosis of defects on thermal envelope: a case study

Abstract

Measurements of heat fl ux in order to determine characteristics of thermal envelope have been widely used in performance testing and verifi cation of building quality when it comes to new buildings. They are also used for determining thermal performance characteristics of existing building’s thermal envelope components of unknown structure. Through these measurements U value of building envelopes is determined and compared to the one estimated by calculations. This paper presents a case study of an analysis of defects present in the façade wall of an existing building in order to determine its thermal performance characteristics and improvement possibilities. Several spots were measures and respective U values have been determined based on the measures heat fl ux and temperature values. The results show the infl uence of numerous parameters on façade wall thermal performance, such as moisture content, shading, usage regime etc. The conclusions driven based on these analyses determined the proposed energy rehabilitation and refurbishment measures. Since the analysed building represents one of the typical buildings in residential building stock in Serbia and in the region, these conclusions can serve as valuable information for similar cases.