In order to achieve the objectives of the energy strategy 2050, a comprehensive renovation of the Swiss building stock is indispensable [1]. The installation of an internal heat insulation system is often the only way to restore exterior walls under historical preservation to provide greater energy efficiency. However, this method of renovation changes the heat and moisture flux and therefor the moisture content of the component. In order to optimize the robustness of the reconstruction solutions, in planning practice numerical simulations of heat and moisture fluxes in the component are carried out. Certainly, there are still insecurities regarding the forecast accuracy and the required input parameters.
In this project, the moisture contents and the temperature profiles of exterior walls with internal heat insulation systems of three different objects are measured over a period of 2 years. By means of a numerical program, the coupled heat and moisture fluxes in the renovated exterior walls are calculated.
The results of the calculation are then compared with the measurement results. To improve the forecast accuracy of the calculations, the input parameters are varied. Thereby the influence of the various input parameters on the moisture contents in the various component layers over time can be determined.
The measured temperatures in the component layers could be reconstructed with a mean deviation of (1.6 ± 1.48) K and the measured values of the relative humidity were reproduced with a minimal deviation of (1.8 ± 3.88) % rh.
Among other things, it has been shown that the representation of the joint portion in the masonry, in particular in the case of quarry stone brickwork, plays an important role and must be taken into account in the calculations by changing the hygrothermal material characteristics of the masonry. However, since the wall structure and the composition of the materials of historical buildings vary considerably from building to building, no general rules could be derived for other types of masonry.
In addition, the influence of moisture permeation by defects in the construction could be determined and reconstructed in the simulation on integrating moisture sources.