Hygrothermal durability of high-performance concrete and foamed concrete wall systems: a comparative interstitial condensation study

Afsoosbiria, H, Afsoosbiria, H and Shubbar, A ORCID: 0000-0001-5609-1165 (2026) Hygrothermal durability of high-performance concrete and foamed concrete wall systems: a comparative interstitial condensation study. Materials Letters. ISSN 0167-577X

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Abstract

Understanding the hygrothermal durability of insulated wall systems is essential for maintaining long-term thermal performance and preventing moisture-related deterioration. Although advanced wall assemblies have been widely developed to improve energy efficiency, their resistance to interstitial condensation remains insufficiently investigated. This study numerically evaluates the moisture transport behaviour of different wall configurations. Relative humidity distributions and water vapour fluxes were analyzed to quantify moisture migration and condensation within the wall assemblies. The results show that the FC-EPSR configuration exhibits the best hygrothermal performance, with the lowest vapour ingress (2.8×10⁻⁸ kg m⁻¹ s⁻¹), the lowest condensation (1.0× 10⁻⁸ kg m⁻¹ s⁻¹), and the smallest condensation fraction (35.7%). In contrast, the HPC-Cork wall shows the highest vapour ingress and condensation, reaching a condensation fraction of 88.2%, indicating severe localized moisture accumulation despite its favorable thermal characteristics. These findings demonstrate that optimizing thermal insulation alone is insufficient for ensuring long-term durability, emphasizing the importance of integrating hygrothermal moisture transport analysis into the design of sustainable building envelopes.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	02 Physical Sciences; 03 Chemical Sciences; 09 Engineering; Materials; 34 Chemical sciences; 40 Engineering; 51 Physical sciences
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Divisions:	Engineering and Built Environment
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date of acceptance:	18 October 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	21 October 2026
Date Deposited:	20 Oct 2026 08:57
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2026 00:50
DOI or ID number:	10.1016/j.matlet.2026.141858
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29710

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