ASHRAE Journal - April 2024 - 36

TECHNICAL FEATURE
FIGURE 5 Condensation occurring at different insulation thicknesses applied outside of the brick for a wall in different heat zones in Turkey (Scenario B).
Condensation Graph for Insulation Applied Outside the Wall in Zone 1
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
Insulation 2 cm
Insulation 4 cm
Insulation 6 cm
Insulation 8 cm
Interior
Plaster
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
Brick
Insulation
Material
Exterior
Plaster
Wall Components
Condensation Graph for Insulation Applied Outside the Wall in Zone 3
Insulation 2 cm
Insulation 4 cm
Insulation 6 cm
Insulation 8 cm
Condensation
Interior
Plaster
Brick
Insulation
Material
Wall Components
insulated between two bricks starts in the part of the
bricks close to the external environment, and this
situation is more dangerous in terms of building life and
thermal comfort.
Conclusion
In this study, condensation was analyzed, assuming
that different thicknesses of insulation were applied
to two different wall types of buildings located in
Antalya, Istanbul, Elazig and Erzcoldurum provinces,
representing four different heat zones in Turkey. It was
assumed that the internal temperatures of the buildings
remain constant at 19°C (66°F) in January and that
condensation occurs according to the average outside
temperatures. The following results were obtained:
* The surface temperatures of the building
components on both walls were calculated. It was
observed that the surface temperatures of the building
components of the wall with insulation between two
bricks (Scenario 1) decreased faster than that of the
other wall type (Scenario 2). The reason is that there was
not sufficient thermal resistance in the wall since the
insulation remained in the middle of two bricks. With
the insulation applied directly to the outside of the brick,
the building components remained in the region where
the temperature gradients changed less. For this reason,
a safe zone has been created against condensation.
* The starting points of the condensation were
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ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.org A P R I L 2024
Exterior
Plaster
Exterior
Surface
Condensation
Boundary Line
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
Exterior
Surface
Condensation
Boundary Line
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
Interior
Plaster
Brick
Insulation
Material
Exterior
Plaster
Wall Components
Condensation Graph for Insulation Applied Outside the Wall in Zone 4
Insulation 2 cm
Insulation 4 cm
Insulation 6 cm
Insulation 8 cm
Interior
Plaster
Condensation
Brick
Insulation
Material
Wall Components
determined by calculating the saturated water vapor
pressures on the surfaces of the building components.
In Scenario 1, condensation occurred at an insulation
thickness of 2 cm (0.8 in.) in Zone 4, while condensation
occurred with an insulation thickness of 2 cm (0.8 in.) in
Scenario 2 in both Zone 3 and Zone 4.
* In Scenario 1, condensation started on the brick
close to the outside environment, while in Scenario 2,
condensation started on the exterior plaster.
* In this study, the amount of condensation was
calculated for Zone 4 and the insulation thickness of
2 cm (0.8 in.), representing the worst conditions. As a
result of this calculation, the amount of condensation
formed on the wall with insulation applied outside of the
brick was approximately 54% higher than the amount of
condensation formed with the other wall type.
* Although the amount of condensation was higher
in Scenario 1, the condensation that started in the brick
in Scenario 2 created a disadvantage in terms of wall life
and thermal comfort.
* Graphs obtained from calculations showed that
in the scenarios given in this study, to reduce the
probability of condensation in Scenario 1, insulation at
least 2 cm (0.8 in.) thick should be used in Zones 1 and 2
and at least 4 cm (2.4 in.) should be used in Zones 3 and
4. For insulation applications in Scenario 2, insulation at
least 2 cm (0.8 in.) thick should be used in Zone 1, and at
least 4 cm (2.4 in.) thick should be used in Zones 2, 3 and
Exterior
Plaster
Exterior
Surface
Condensation
Boundary Line
Exterior
Surface
Condensation Graph for Insulation Applied Outside the Wall in Zone 2
Insulation 2 cm
Insulation 4 cm
Insulation 6 cm
Insulation 8 cm
Condensation
Boundary Line
Saturation Water Vapor Pressure (Pa)
Saturation Water Vapor Pressure (Pa)
Saturation Water Vapor Pressure (Pa)
Saturation Water Vapor Pressure (Pa)
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