The Hygrothermal Performance of Cold Climate Basement Walls Retrofitted with Insulation and a Water Separation Plane

Abstract

This research studies the hygrothermal performance of hollow concrete masonry unit basement walls in cold climates retrofitted with insulation and a water separation plane. Four full-scale wall systems were constructed and instrumented for the research. Wall and soil hygrothermal data was collected in addition to the boundary conditions. The research expands the understanding of the effects of buoyant cavity flow in basement walls, the effects of a high ground water table on thermal transport, and the relationship between soil and wall moisture. The accuracy of a below-grade thermal-only computer simulation was evaluated for predicting the thermal performance of the experimental system. Further, independent simplified calculations were performed to confirm the postulated primary heat loss mechanism in basements with well insulated walls and to explain the non-intuitive thermal observations made.