Test buildings
Long-term monitoring of structures and materials
Test buildings can be used to monitor the building physical behavior of various external wall and upper floor structures in real outdoor conditions. With test buildings, it is possible to adjust the temperature and relative humidity of the indoor air, as well as the pressure difference between the indoor and outdoor air. Indoor and outdoor air conditions as well as the conditions of the interfaces between the different structural layers of the test structures are monitored with continuous measurements using extensive sensors.
The Building Physics Research Group has two test buildings. The experimental buildings are mirror images of each other, and a total of 12 outer wall structures and 3 upper base structures can be installed for examination in each test building. The test buildings are positioned in the main air directions so that the long facades on which the test structures are installed face north and south. Typically, two identical test elements of each type of wall structure under investigation are installed on test buildings: one for the north facade and one for the south facade.
The test structures provide comparable measurement data over several years. The data can be used for mutual comparison of different structures. The obtained data also enables comparison with simulation models and through this the development of the models in a better and more precise direction.