Complex 3D Condensation Risk Analysis
About
A concern was raised that there would be a risk of condensation around the steel beam. A two-dimensional analysis failed to accurately asses the situation and so a three-dimensional model was required.
The Brief
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To investigate the detail to determine any risk of condensation and explore options to limit or eliminate that risk.
Key Challenges
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This was a very complex detail with several factors driving the risk.
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The structure was composed of heavy steel elements
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The window system was aluminium frame
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The beam penetrated from the interior to the exterior at the top corner of the building, this three-dimensional corner amplified the problem
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The roof was composed of an unusual steel and rubber sandwich deck
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An in-depth knowledge of building physics and material heat flow was required to correctly identify the issues.
Our Approach
We first build a series of two-dimensional models to get a sense of the geometry of the detail and see where the main risk of condensation was likely to be.
We converted these models into a complex three-dimensional model and viewed the model from various angles and at differing depths in order to determine which drivers were causing the condensation risk.
Having achieved this we then ran a series of engineering variations to bring the condensation risk into an acceptable level.
Results
With close co-ordination with our client the condensation risk was finally reduced to an acceptable level.
