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Moisture Risk in Unvented Attics Due to Air Leakage Paths - Minneapolis Minnesota

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IBACOS completed an initial analysis of moisture damage potential in an unvented attic insulated with closed-cell spray polyurethane foam. To complete this analysis, the research team collected field data, used computational fluid dynamics to quantify the airflow rates through individual airflow (crack) paths, simulated hourly flow rates through the leakage paths with CONTAM software, correlated the CONTAM flow rates with indoor humidity ratios from Building Energy Optimization software, and used "Warme und Feuchte instationar Pro two-dimensional modeling" to determine the moisture content of the building materials surrounding the cracks.
Given the number of simplifying assumptions and numerical models associated with this analysis, the results indicate that localized damage due to high moisture content of the roof sheathing is possible under very low airflow rates. Reducing the number of assumptions and approximations through field studies and laboratory experiments would be valuable to understand the real-world moisture damage potential in unvented attics.

Citation Formats

TY - DATA AB - IBACOS completed an initial analysis of moisture damage potential in an unvented attic insulated with closed-cell spray polyurethane foam. To complete this analysis, the research team collected field data, used computational fluid dynamics to quantify the airflow rates through individual airflow (crack) paths, simulated hourly flow rates through the leakage paths with CONTAM software, correlated the CONTAM flow rates with indoor humidity ratios from Building Energy Optimization software, and used "Warme und Feuchte instationar Pro two-dimensional modeling" to determine the moisture content of the building materials surrounding the cracks. Given the number of simplifying assumptions and numerical models associated with this analysis, the results indicate that localized damage due to high moisture content of the roof sheathing is possible under very low airflow rates. Reducing the number of assumptions and approximations through field studies and laboratory experiments would be valuable to understand the real-world moisture damage potential in unvented attics. AU - Rapport, Ari A2 - Shaffer, Matthew A3 - Prahl, Duncan DB - Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI) DP - Open EI | National Renewable Energy Laboratory DO - 10.25984/2204228 KW - building america KW - BEopt KW - WUFI KW - attic air leakage KW - attic ventilation KW - cathedralized attics KW - closed-cell spray foam insulation KW - hygrothermal analysis KW - moisture risk KW - residential KW - water vapor flow rate KW - cold KW - computational fluid dynamics KW - multifamily KW - single family KW - BuildingAmerica LA - English DA - 2016/04/27 PY - 2016 PB - Ibacos Innovation T1 - Moisture Risk in Unvented Attics Due to Air Leakage Paths - Minneapolis Minnesota UR - https://doi.org/10.25984/2204228 ER -
Export Citation to RIS
Rapport, Ari, et al. Moisture Risk in Unvented Attics Due to Air Leakage Paths - Minneapolis Minnesota. Ibacos Innovation, 27 April, 2016, Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI). https://doi.org/10.25984/2204228.
Rapport, A., Shaffer, M., & Prahl, D. (2016). Moisture Risk in Unvented Attics Due to Air Leakage Paths - Minneapolis Minnesota. [Data set]. Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI). Ibacos Innovation. https://doi.org/10.25984/2204228
Rapport, Ari, Matthew Shaffer, and Duncan Prahl. Moisture Risk in Unvented Attics Due to Air Leakage Paths - Minneapolis Minnesota. Ibacos Innovation, April, 27, 2016. Distributed by Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI). https://doi.org/10.25984/2204228
@misc{OEDI_Dataset_5495, title = {Moisture Risk in Unvented Attics Due to Air Leakage Paths - Minneapolis Minnesota}, author = {Rapport, Ari and Shaffer, Matthew and Prahl, Duncan}, abstractNote = {IBACOS completed an initial analysis of moisture damage potential in an unvented attic insulated with closed-cell spray polyurethane foam. To complete this analysis, the research team collected field data, used computational fluid dynamics to quantify the airflow rates through individual airflow (crack) paths, simulated hourly flow rates through the leakage paths with CONTAM software, correlated the CONTAM flow rates with indoor humidity ratios from Building Energy Optimization software, and used "Warme und Feuchte instationar Pro two-dimensional modeling" to determine the moisture content of the building materials surrounding the cracks.
Given the number of simplifying assumptions and numerical models associated with this analysis, the results indicate that localized damage due to high moisture content of the roof sheathing is possible under very low airflow rates. Reducing the number of assumptions and approximations through field studies and laboratory experiments would be valuable to understand the real-world moisture damage potential in unvented attics.
}, url = {https://data.openei.org/submissions/5495}, year = {2016}, howpublished = {Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI), Ibacos Innovation, https://doi.org/10.25984/2204228}, note = {Accessed: 2025-04-26}, doi = {10.25984/2204228} }
https://dx.doi.org/10.25984/2204228

Details

Data from Apr 27, 2016

Last updated Nov 1, 2023

Submitted Apr 27, 2016

Organization

Ibacos Innovation

Contact

Ari Rapport

Authors

Ari Rapport

Ibacos Innovation

Matthew Shaffer

Ibacos Innovation

Duncan Prahl

Ibacos Innovation

Research Areas

DOE Project Details

Project Name Building America

Project Number FY14 AOP 1.9.1.19

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