ABSTRACT
The vitalization of the historical building stock demands planning of reconstruction measures that increasingly aim at protection of our cultural heritage and energy-efficient renovation as well. But these requirements can be contradictory sometimes. Questions arise, e.g.: What is the potential and the risk of a thermal insulation? Which materials and which thickness would be appropriate for application in historical buildings?
The external walls of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, under reconstruction currently, suffered from moisture related damages. Therefore, it was intended to apply a thermal insulation to provide a proper micro climate near the internal wall surfaces and to minimize fluctuations in indoor climate. The insulation has to be properly dimensioned to limit extreme values in temperature and relative humidity. In addition, the measures should reduce interstitial condensation and prevent consecutive frost damages at outer parts of the facade. Two internal insulation options were discussed, one based on vapor-tight cellular glass and another one using capillary-active calcium silicate. Both variants and, as a reference case, the existing construction without insulation were investigated by application of numerical simulation software. Results are presented here for undisturbed one-dimensional wall constructions exposed to climate conditions of Amsterdam on an hourly basis.
