Wind-driven rain exposure and moisture damage risk of heritage facades

Abstract

Accurate estimation of wind-driven rain (WDR) load on building facades is of paramount importance for the assessment of moisture-induced damage risks. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of WDR are performed for the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Canada. Combined with a statistical analysis of the long-term local meteorological conditions, zones of facades receiving the highest amount of WDR are determined. Then, for critical locations on the facade, the Climatic Index is used as a metric, taking into account the total wetting load and total drying potential, in order to identify the façade locations and periods that show high risk of moisture damage.