Heat and moisture transfer characteristics and mould growth risk assessment of typical exterior walls in different climate zones of China

Investigates the heat and moisture transfer characteristics and the risk of mould growth of common building envelopes provided by the national building standard design atlas 09J908-3. Taking five representative cities (Shenyang, Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou and Kunming) as examples, simulates the heat and moisture transfer process of the external walls by the WUFI Pro 6.2 software. The results show that the heat and moisture transfer process is influenced by multiple factors such as the substrate material, insulation material and local meteorological conditions. The aerated concrete walls exhibit better thermal insulation and moisture absorption performance with good adaptability in different climate zones. The reinforced concrete walls with high structural strength have relatively poor thermal insulation and moisture absorption and release performance, which can easily cause excessive indoor moisture load. The mould growth risk calculation results show that the risk of mould growth on the interior surface of different types of exterior walls in Shenyang, Beijing and Shanghai is relatively low. However, the risk of mould growth is higher when using light-weight cement mortar inside and outside combination insulation wall in Fuzhou and Kunming, so this kind of wall structure should be avoided as far as possible in the design of building exterior walls in the southern region.