ASHRAE Journal - April 2024 - 28

TECHNICAL FEATURE
Type and thickness of insulation applied in buildings
are important in saving energy.3 However, condensation
should also be considered. Depending on the resistance
of the building materials to the passage of water vapor
and the changes in water vapor from a gaseous to liquid
state-or, in other words, if water condenses inside the
building's walls-the building's lifetime will decrease
significantly due to excessive humidity, and comfort
conditions will also be negatively affected.4 Many studies
have been previously conducted on condensation.5-8
Moisture accumulation inside a building's protective
structure over an extended period of time will lead
to mold growth on their inner surfaces. Mold spores
spread indoors through airflow and human and animal
activities and slowly accumulate on surfaces of building
materials. Spores inside walls mainly originate from
building materials or air. Dormant spores will germinate
and produce hyphae under favorable conditions. The
main conditions affecting the reproduction of mold
spores are temperature and humidity.9 While mold
growth damages the building structure, prolonged
contact and inhalation of mold and its metabolites may
cause respiratory tract infections, asthma, dermatitis
and even infectious diseases.10-12
Huang, et al., presented a method for optimum
and reliable indoor humidity control with moisturebuffering
materials. They developed an optimum
design system for humidity in indoor environments in
buildings using temporal simulation.13 Lopez-Arce, et
al., provided a simple building moisture index and a
systematic diagnostic procedure for possible causes of
mold growth on the walls of buildings. They stated that
their results would help support unbiased decisionmaking,
identify remediation strategies and find more
cost-effective solutions to existing moisture and mold
problems in buildings.14
Identifying the causes associated with mold growth
and taking the right corrective actions may be necessary
to reduce the prevalence of this problem. Interest
in healthier and more moisture-balanced indoor
environments has increased the demand for effective
methods to avoid faulty and expensive interventions
and resolve disrepair damage disputes.15-19
Materials and Methods
Different partial vapor pressures occur between
the two faces of a building element due to different
28
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.org A P R I L 2024
TABLE 1 Average outside temperatures (°C) in Antalya, Istanbul, Elazig and
Erzurum provinces in Turkey.
ZONE 1
ZONE 2
January
(ANTALYA)
8.4
(ISTANBUL)
2.9
ZONE 3
(ELAZIG)
-0.3
ZONE 4
(ERZURUM)
-5.4
temperatures and relative humidity. As a result of this
pressure difference, the vapor molecules in the air move
in the same direction as the heat flows and pass through
the pores of the building element, trying to reach
the external environment. If the water vapor meets
a surface inside the building element at saturation
temperature or lower, some of it condenses into water
and accumulates in the building element or on its
surface and damages the structure.
Condensation on the surface of a building element
can cause black spots, mold and fungus and can affect
human health and environmental comfort conditions
negatively and also cause damage to building materials.
On the other hand, condensation occurring between
building elements, especially as a result of the corrosion
of the reinforcements in the load bearing parts of
the structures and the decrease in their function and
strength over time, adversely affects the life of the
structure and its earthquake resistance. Furthermore,
condensation causes decay of building elements,
deterioration of their integrity and increased heat losses.
In this study, insulation 2 cm, 4 cm, 6 cm and 8 cm
(0.8 in., 1.6 in., 2.4 in. and 3.2 in.) thick were applied
to the walls of buildings with two different wall types.
The data were evaluated for four different heat zones in
Turkey, and the responses to condensation in January
were examined. For the calculations, Antalya was
chosen as Zone 1, Istanbul as Zone 2, Elazig as Zone 3
and Erzurum as Zone 4. The internal temperature of the
each building was assumed to be 19°C (66°F). Average
outside temperatures by month are shown in Table 1.20
Antalya (Zone 1) is at sea level. Its climate is generally
Mediterranean. Summers are hot and dry; winters are
mild and rainy. Istanbul (Zone 2) is also at sea level. It is
located between Asia and Europe. It has a transitional
climate between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean
and is one of the rainiest cities in the region. Elazig
(Zone 3), is 1067 m (3,501 ft) above sea level. It has a
continental climate. Summers are hot and dry; winters
are cold and harsh. Erzurum (Zone 4), is 1890 m
(6,201 ft) above sea level. It has a continental climate.
Two different scenarios were determined for the
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