Course Overview
Taking the interdisciplinary nature of the program and its diverse intake into account, this levelling course is designed to introduce the basic and advanced building science principles with a focus on heat, air, and moisture transfer in buildings. Topics include heat conduction, convection and radiation, psychrometric chart, airflow through building components due to combined forces, and moisture transport in air and porous materials including vapour diffusion, convection, and capillarity. The theory is illustrated through the application of analytical methods such as the thermal network in solving typical heat and mass transfer problems through building envelope components and heat and mass balance within buildings. Concepts such as surface heat and mass transfer coefficients, equivalent solar-air temperature, clear sky long-wave radiation, thermal and moisture storage, psychrometrics and condensation due to vapour and airflow are covered.
Prerequisite(s)
- No prerequisites are required for this course.
Credits
3.0
- Not offered this term
- This course is not offered this term. Notify me to receive email notifications when the course opens for registration next term.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Calculate the temperature distribution of wall systems exposed to steady-state heat load and assess their 2-D thermal performance using simplified methods.
- Calculate the temperature profile of wall systems exposed to periodical varying conditions and assess the impact of thermal transfer and storage using thermal network analysis.
- Evaluate the impact of surface emissivity on long-wave radiant heat exchange.
- Calculate surface convective heat transfer coefficients using dimensionless numbers for natural and forced convection, and laminar and turbulent flows.
- Determine the state of moist air and the energy and moisture required for its state changes and mixing using a psychrometric chart and approximate equations.
- Calculate the airflow through openings, cracks, and orifices, e.g., at window/wall interfaces, using the crack method.
- Determine the airflow pattern and air leakage rate in buildings due to the stack effect, mechanical ventilation systems and wind, and combinations of the above using both analytical methods and test procedures.
- Calculate steady-state moisture transport through building envelope assemblies and assess the potential for condensation within different assemblies due to vapour diffusion and airflow.
- Interpret the moisture transport and storage processes in porous materials, specifically capillarity, surface tension, vapour pressure over meniscus, equilibrium moisture content, and the effect of hysteresis on moisture content.
- Select experimental methods to determine typical hygric properties such as vapour permeability, isothermal sorption, liquid diffusivity, water absorption coefficients, and water retention curves.
- Determine the surface diffusion mass transfer coefficients and calculate the quantity of surface condensation/evaporation.
- Evaluate the water vapour and energy balance in ventilated rooms or spaces.
Effective as of Fall 2011
Related Programs
Building Science for Building Systems (BSCI 9000) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Construction and the Environment
- Building Energy Modelling
Graduate Certificate Part-time
- Building Engineering/Building Science
Master of Applied Science Full-time/Part-time
- Building Science
Master of Engineering Full-time/Part-time
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.