Analysis and Monitoring of the Drying Process of a Hygro-Regulated Wall Base Ventilation System Implemented in a Historical Church to Control Rising Damp

Abstract

Treating rising damp in the walls of historic buildings is a very complex procedure and the traditional techniques currently used to minimize rising damp are not effective or too expensive, in particular when dealing with walls of considerable thickness and heterogeneous materials.

This work presents the results of an in situ application of the hygro-regulated wall base ventilation system to control rising damp in a historical church located in northern Portugal. The main purpose is to validate the wall base ventilation technology for treating rising damp in very thick and heterogeneous walls.

The analytical model used well describes the observed features of rising damp in building walls, verified by in-field tests, which contributed to simple sizing of the hygro-regulated wall base ventilation system to be implemented in historical buildings.

Keywords:

• Drying
• Historical buildings
• Moisture transfer
• Rising damp treatment
• Wall base ventilation system