The climate shell's airtightness system is absolutely crucial for near-zero energy houses, passive houses and plus houses to function as intended. Houses are built for decades of trouble-free use. It is therefore required that sealing systems do not lose their properties after a few years, but that the airtightness is preserved over a long period of time. To achieve airtightness, polymeric materials are normally used which are more sensitive to aging than most other building materials. The stability over time is determined by the composition and structure of the polymeric material as well as how it is manufactured and stored. Factors such as the surrounding environment are also important for the long-term properties. Since the products that ensure the airtightness are usually built into the construction, premature replacement can mean major and costly interventions in the buildings. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to evaluate in advance, in a laboratory environment, the durability of the various air sealing systems. For this, a testing method is needed.

The overall aim of this E2B2-supported research project is to develop a method by which whole systems of airtightness can be investigated. The goal is good air tightness and low energy consumption over a long period of time with the air tightness system of the future. As a continuation of the previous partial application, a method and test bed has now been developed to ensure that the materials and combinations of materials included in the climate shell have good tightness even after decades of use. The testing method has proven to work well. By, among other things, exposing the materials to temperatures of 60 °C to 80 °C, an intended service life of 25-50 years has been simulated. Construction site conditions matter In addition to the materials, the conditions of the construction itself, which are not always ideal, play a role in durability. Within the scope of the project, assembly of airtightness systems has therefore been done in environments chosen to mimic realistic construction site conditions.

Important results
• Since the systems that ensure the airtightness of buildings are built into the construction, their long-term durability is absolutely crucial. Switching is often expensive and complicated.
• By examining in advance the airtight materials and material combinations included in the climate shell, it is possible to choose a solution that also lasts in the long term.
• Although the three different makes of air tightness systems tested in the project have good air tightness, below 0.1 l/(s∙m²), accelerated aging in all cases shows an increasing air permeability.
• Construction site conditions, which can be anything but ideal, also play a role in durability. Changes in air tightness are noted when assembly took place in a cold, damp and dusty environment.
• Climate shells that deteriorate with age are a bad deal. An air leak that increases from 0.3 to 0.9 l/(s∙m²) drives energy use up by 15 percent.

In RISE's test lab in Borås, the researchers in this project have put the rain and wind protection to the test. If this layer does not work well, the insulation material risks getting wet or the wind can blow through the insulation material. This in turn leads to the insulation material losing its insulating ability, with high energy consumption as one of the consequences.

At RISE, researchers in previous projects within E2B2 have studied the air density in the climate shell. In this project, they have studied the layer outside the insulation. In many accepted methods of testing products for rain and wind protection systems, the tests of the products are carried out under favorable conditions of normal indoor temperature and humidity. In this project, the method has been supplemented, so that tests are also carried out in environments that resemble realistic construction site conditions. Tests have been carried out in three different environments: ideal conditions (normal lab climate), in a cold and humid environment, approximately 5°C 90–95 percent relative humidity and in a dusty environment.

The researchers have carried out tests of three different rain and wind protection systems from different manufacturers. The systems included foil, tape, cuffs for grommets and seam sealing.

The testing method has worked well in the pilot tests. It is possible to see a change in the air density during measurements before and after the heat treatment. The three rain and wind protection systems tested were very airtight, which is good from an energy point of view.

The heat treatment gave slightly different results. Some measurements showed increased leakage after the heat treatment, while other measurements showed reduced air leakage after the heat treatment.

When subjected to rain and gusts of wind, all three rain and wind protection systems had leakage - but to different extents. The fact that the rain and wind protection systems are not completely waterproof is not good because it is one of the prerequisites for being able to maintain a low energy consumption in the long term. It can also be a problem as the rain and wind protection systems are sometimes used instead of a separate weather protection on a construction site.

Important results

• A new method has been developed and tested for rain and wind protection systems. In the new method, the systems are also tested in realistic construction site conditions. 
• The method has worked well in the pilot tests. You can see a change in the air density when measuring before and after the heat treatment. 
• All three tested rain and wind protection systems are very airtight. This means that you can get a substantial improvement in air tightness and thus lower energy consumption in buildings where the investigated air tightness systems are used. 
• The heat treatment gave slightly different results, some measurements showed an increased leakage after the heat treatment while other measurements showed a decrease in air leakage after the heat treatment. 
• All the the investigated rain and wind protection systems showed leakage in tests in combined rain and wind. 
• If the facade is not rainproof, the insulating material gets wet and thus loses its insulating ability.

We are able to assist you with tests both during product development and before market introduction. In our laboratory in Borås, we can carry out tests on everything from small components and products to complete structures with sizes over 10 meters, and with loads up to 20 MN (2 000 tonnes). We work based on established standards, but we also have the opportunity to develop customer-specific tests and solutions that we can build up in our laboratories.

Results from testing can be an important basis for being able to assess the strength of components or structures or to ensure that the necessary safety criteria are met.

Examples of products that we can test:

• Windows and doors
• Roof and wall constructions
• Smoke vents
• Glass, safety glass
• Balcony railings
• Fire dampers
• Fasteners, fasteners
• Slices, plaster and insulation
• Concrete
• Manhole Covers
• Loops
• Shackles
• Chain
• Fasteners such as screws, nuts and threaded rods
• Round loop (straps), lifting strap
• Lifting insert systems
• Suspended ceilings

Testing can be performed both in our laboratory in Borås, but we also have the opportunity to carry out testing in the field. Test report is delivered on completed assignment. Where applicable standards exist, results can be delivered accordingly. The test report can also be a basis for certification.

The work include both accredited and non-accredited testing methods. The scope of accreditation is available upon request – please feel free to contact us for more information.

Our offer

At RISE we have long-standing experience on how structures react to seismic events. The department of Chemistry and Applied Mechanics operates a test bed able to perform seismic tests of objects up to 2 tons. The test bed is combined with numerical simulations to offer a large window of services for the evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of equipment, buildings and infrastructures at different scales.

Testing

Seismic tests have been performed at RISE since the 1980’s, when the institute's name was SP. Nowadays the laboratory of the Chemistry and Applied Mechanics department, in Borås, owns accreditation for many international seismic test methods and standards, approved by SWEDAC. 

Our primary equipment is a biaxial 4-DOF shake table with +/- 200 mm displacement range in each direction, necessary for correct earthquake simulation. We test objects up to and above 1.5 tons, depending on the height of the centre of gravity and the required earthquake severity. A larger uni-axial shake table can be used to test larger and heavier test objects in the horizontal direction.

RISE also has a shake rig in Kista, Stockholm, that is primarily used for seismic testing of telecom equipment, according to the Telcordia standard.

Most of the test assignments that we conduct are for the seismic qualification of safety-critical equipment for nuclear power generation, electrical power distribution and telecommunication. Get in contact with us, we are ready to formulate tailored-made experimental solutions that suit your needs!

Wu, Pei-Yu, Kristina Mjörnell, Mikael Mangold, Claes Sandels, and Tim Johansson. 2021. “A Data-Driven Approach to Assess the Risk of Encountering Hazardous Materials in the Building Stock Based on Environmental Inventories.” Sustainability 13 (14): 7836.

Wu, Pei-Yu, Kristina Mjörnell, Claes Sandels, and Mikael Mangold. 2021. “Machine Learning in Hazardous Building Material Management: Research Status and Applications.” Recent Progress in Materials 3 (2).

The project consortium consists of five organisations, with leading international reputations and strong backgrounds in fire testing and certification activities, and with particular experience in the development of façade fire testing methods. The project is led by RISE, the previous chair of the European Group of Laboratories for Fire testing (EGOLF) Technical Committee on fire resistance (TC2) in liaison with EOTA, CEN TC127, ISO TC92/SC1 and SH02.

The aim is to finalise and fine-tune the assessment method developed by the Contractor at the previous stage as the “alternative method” so that the method can be directly used for harmonised products standards (in CEN) and for European Assessment Documents (in EOTA) regarding the relevant construction products (kits) within the framework of implementation of Regulation (EU) 305/2011.

The outcome of the project is a European approach to assess the fire performance of facades.