Abstract

The performance and durability of building envelopes is significantly affected by their ability to control moisture movement. This is especially true for intentionally humidified buildings located in cold climates. Air exfiltration during winter months can cause serious damage to the building envelope. Inevitable flaws in conventional air barrier systems due to workmanship and/or design deficiencies make the control of air leakage a difficult task. The Dynamic Buffer Zone (DBZ) is an innovative air barrier system that can eliminate the potential deleterious effects of air exfiltration.

The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of a DBZ system on wall surface temperatures. This was achieved by constructing and exposing a DBZ wall assembly to controlled temperature environments within a laboratory. The initial DBZ air temperature, the DBZ air flow rate and the DBZ cavity width were the key characteristics of the system that were investigated.

The experimental results obtained indicate that the influence of the DBZ system on wall surface temperatures is dependent on the fluid and thermodynamic conditions of the DBZ Air within the cavity. For the conditions investigated, it was found that the DBZ system has a fairly insignificant impact on wall surface temperatures.