Bio-Based Building Materials for Sustainable Building Design: Hygrothermal, Indoor Environment and Energy Performance Analysis

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The proposed research program aims to advance integration of low carbon, intensive, bio-based building materials in sustainable building design through research and development. Investigation of the energy and hygrothermal performance as well as the potential impact of the bio-based materials on the indoor environment are the foci of the program. The research activities in the program span from materials to bio-based building envelope assemblies and to whole-building performance analysis, where the dynamic heat, air and moisture (HAM) interactions between building envelope components, indoor environments and mechanical systems will be studied. The program seeks to optimize such buildings' performance, cost and environmental benefits while minimizing the durability risk. The long-term goals of the proposed research program are to develop high performance bio-based materials that are environmentally friendly, energy efficient, durable and cost effective, and to develop design guidelines and standards for the use of bio-based materials in sustainable building design. In the short-term, the research program focuses on understanding and characterizing the thermal and moisture performance of bio-based materials with hemp fiber, flex fiber and wheat straw to lay the foundation of knowledge for the stated long-term goals. The research program applies both experimental and numerical research methods, and is supported by three existing research infrastructures the Hygrothermal Property Measurement Laboratory (HPML), the Building Envelope Test Facility (BETF), and the Whole-Building Performance Research Laboratory (WBPRL) and numerical tools such as building envelope hygrothermal models (HAMFit1D, HAMFit2D), a whole-building model (HAMFitPlus), a probabilistic HAM model, and a multi-objective optimization model. It is envisioned that this research program will significantly contribute to the training of graduate students, and thereby increase the limited number of highly qualified-personnel (HQP) in the building science field to tackle the challenges that the construction industry is currently facing. The research program's aim is to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, to increase economic opportunities, and to provide social and health benefits for Canadians.