Improving the Reliability of theoretical approaches for hygrothermal characterization and modeling of building envelopes

We notice a significant disagreement between simulated results and the one measured, chiefly in dynamic configurations, when it comes to hygrothermal modeling. The analysis of these results led us to two essential weaknesses in the current methods: an underestimation of the water vapor permeability of materials (linked to an experimental bias), and a non-consideration of the hysteretic nature of moisture sorption in hygrothermal models (Duforestel (2015)). Therefore, a national project SmartReno (2019) aims to complement our theoretical and experimental background to create reliable tools for hygrothermal simulation. Accordingly, this paper will present the different problematics to which we expect to respond and the methodology we will use. Then, we will put forward the first results of the work concerning the objectives of this project.