Open AccessBuilt-in moisture in cross-laminated timber roofs – a field study
Author(s) -
Jørn Emil Gaarder,
T D Pettersen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of physics. conference series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.21
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1742-6596
pISSN - 1742-6588
DOI - 10.1088/1742-6596/2069/1/012051
Subject(s) - cross laminated timber , roof , moisture , rainwater harvesting , environmental science , carbon footprint , climate zones , water content , civil engineering , architectural engineering , engineering , geography , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , geology , physical geography , greenhouse gas , biology , ecology , oceanography
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) elements have had a growing popularity in recent years due to i.e. low carbon footprint, low weight and efficient construction time. However, the elements are sensitive to moisture and prone to organic growth if not treated properly or if used incorrectly. Roof slabs are particularly exposed, as they have a large area of exposure and the horizontal orientation doesn’t allow rainwater run-off. The efforts made to protect CLT-roofing elements by Norwegian contractors vary widely, as there are few guidelines and little long-term experience. A field study of CLT-roofs on existing buildings was conducted to investigate the conditions after some years in service. The study includes inspection and moisture measurements of CLT elements from the exterior side in 10 building projects 1-9 years old from two regions of Norway. The contractor of each project was interviewed in order to assess the extent of climate exposure and protection measures during construction. The results indicate a correlation between water content, building age and exposure level during construction. There is a clear indication that the drying time for built-in moisture in CLT roof constructions are slow. Keeping built-in moisture to a minimum is therefore paramount.