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Instructions

Thermal Gradient and Vapor Pressure in a Wall Assembly - Overview


This workbook calculates and displays several items commonly needed when dealing with wall
assemblies. It uses standard methods, but most specifically uses the methods defined in:
Thermal and Moisture Protection Manual - Christine Beall McGraw Hill1998. The ones currently
included are:
- Thermal gradient across a wall
- Saturation vapor pressure across a wall
- Actual vapor pressure across a wall
- Joint width necessary to address component movements and construction tolerances.
- Thermal Bridging
- Wind pressure on a wall in both PSF and inches of water

The main worksheet is the Wall Gradients worksheet. It is protected so that you won't make
unecessary mistakes while entering data. If you wish to make changes you can unprotect the document
since there is no password.
The Saturation Pressure Worksheet shows the coefficients of the polynomial that is used to
approximate the Saturated Water Pressure in the range -50c to 50c for which this equation is valid.
Notes:
- The worksheet is set up to accept up to 8 materials in the wall plus the airfilms on either side. You
should work from the left side entering material names, thickness and properties. The worksheet will
work properly if you enter fewer than 8 materials.
- For thermal resistance the sheet is set up to expect Resistance per inch and then to calculate the total
resistance based on the thickness of the material. If you are given a specific Resistance (as for an air
film) then you can overide the calcuation.
- Similarly, for Vapor Resistance the sheet is set up to accept permeability and then calculate vapor
resistance per inch and the actual vapor resistance. You can override these last two.
Latest update 10/19/2003
J. Mitchell

Page 1

Instructions

dealing with wall

998. The ones currently

at you won't make


n unprotect the document

that is used to
his equation is valid.

ms on either side. You


es. The worksheet will

en to calculate the total


esistance (as for an air

then calculate vapor

Page 2

Wall Gradients

Thermal & Vapor Pressure Gradient Calculator


Temp DegF TempDegC
68
20
17
-8
-51
-28

Inside Conditions
Outside Conditions
Delta

Rh
50%
73%

Wind

Sat VP Actual VP
0.691
0.345
0.096
0.070
-0.274907

15

12.9 Inches
13.7
2.8

Total Wall Thickness


Total Wall R
Total Wall Rep

Material Name
Thickness in
X_Distance
R/in
R
Permeabilty
Vapor Resistance/In
Vapor Resistance

AirFilm_In

0.68
120
0.008
0.008

Mat1
Mat2
Mat3
Mat4
Mat5
Mat6
Gypsum Conc Block Polyst Ins AirSpace
Brick
0.5
6
1.5
1
3.875
0.5
6.5
8
9
12.875
12.875
1
0.255 6.2533333
0.97
0.11
0.5
1.53
9.38
0.97
0.42625
18.75
19.2
1.2
120
3.2
0.053
0.052
0.833
0.008
0.313
0.027
0.313
1.250
0.008
1.211

Temp on On Right
Temp (DegC)
Saturated Vap Press
Actual Vap Press
Delta Vap Press

65
18.6
0.6325
0.344
0.288032246

64
58
23
19
18
18
18
14
-5
-7
-8
-8
0.5926
0.4838
0.1238
0.1061
0.0991
0.0991
0.342
0.311
0.189
0.188
0.070
0.070
0.2507048 0.1724728 -0.065158 -0.081983 0.0295344 0.0295344

Thermal Gradient in Wall


70

Temp DegF

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0

10

15

Vapor Pressure - inches of HG

Vapor Pressure in Wall


0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
0

10

Wall X_Distance

Wall X-Distance

Page 1

Wall Gradients

Mat7

12.875

Mat8

Airfilm_out

12.875
0.17

18
18
17
-8
-8
-8
0.0991
0.0991
0.0964
0.070
0.070
0.070
0.0295344 0.0295344 0.0268536

essure in Wall

Saturated Vap Press


Actual Vap Press

15

Page 2

Joint Width

The necessary width for a joint is addressed in Chapter 9 of Thermal and Moisture Protection Manual. There are
components that must included to determine the design width.
Jt = Thermal movement
Jm = Moisture movement
Jc = Construction Tolerances
Material
JL
JTW
Jta
JX
JS
JCT
JCM
Sm
SSF
JC
JTS
JdeltaT
Jmt
JT
JM
J

Marble
300
35
100
75
0.8
8.6
8
25%
80%
0.25
160
125
0.3225
1.6125
0.0024

1.8649

Inches
DegF
DegF

Pct
Pct
Inches
DegF
DegF
Inches
Inches
Inches
Inches

Name of Material Considered


Material Length in Inches
Extreme Winter Wall Temperature
Dry bulb Extreme summer air temperature
Constant for heat capacity of material (table 9.2)
Solar absorption coefficient (table 9.3)
Thermal Expansion Coefficient
Moisture Movment Coefficient
Sealant Movement Capacity
Sealant Safety Factor
Construction Tolerance
Extreme Summer Wall Surface Temperature
Change in Temperature
Thermal Movement of Joint
Joint minimum width for thermal movement
Joint minimum width for moisture movement
Design Joint minimum width

Page 1

Joint Width

tion Manual. There are 3

Page 2

Saturation Pressure

Saturation Pressure of Water Calculation


Range Good -58 to 122
TinF
TinC
EsPoly
Sat_Water_In

DegF

69
20.55555556

Coefficients of Polynomial for


a1
a2
a3
a4
a5
a6
a7

24.204 Mb
0.7147 In of HG

The saturation pressure of water vapor is a complicated


physical function. Good approximations to it are given at
http://hurri.kean.edu/~yoh/calculations/satvap/satvap.html

Calculating Mb to inches of Mercury


1 Mb
0.7500617
1 MM
0.03937008
1 Mb
0.029529989

This spreadsheet uses the Polynomial approximation good


from -50c to 50c, approximately -58f to 122f.
This worksheet shows the coefficients of the polynomial and
how it is actually calculated. The main worksheet uses the

Page 3

6.11E+000
4.44E-001
1.43E-002
2.65E-004
3.02E-006
2.04E-008
6.39E-011

Saturation Pressure

Mm of Hg
Inches
Inches of HG

Page 4

Thermal Bridging Calculation


Insulation Values
ValueR1
ValueR2
ValueR3
ValueR4
ValueR5

1
1
1
18
6

a+b =

12 in

Dimensions
a
b

10.5 inches
1.5 inches

R1
R5

Total Insulation Calculation


Insulation path
Stud Path
R1
1
1
R2
1
1
R3
1
R4
18
R5
6
Total
21
8

Effective Insulation
Reff
17.5
Decrease
3.5
Decrease%
17%

R2

This sheet allows you to calculate the decrease in effective insulation valu
It assumes a stud-like material with insulating material filling between the

Vary the dimensions and the insulation values to see the decrease in effe

You can see that the formula in B24 is


=((Insulation_R*Stud_R)*(a+b)) / (a*Stud_R+b*Insulation_R)
This is derived from equating the sum of the heat flows through the two s
an "effective" resistance over the total width path and solving for the effec

Note that when you have metal bridging the calculation is more complex b
much small of the metal. In this case you must calculate a tributary area.
calculations.

a
b

R1
R3
R5

R2

ecrease in effective insulation value due to simple thermal bridging.


ating material filling between the studs.

values to see the decrease in effective insulation value.

d_R+b*Insulation_R)
the heat flows through the two separate paths to the heat flow of
dth path and solving for the effective resistance.

the calculation is more complex because the dimensions are so


u must calculate a tributary area. See 3.4.2 of Beall for those

Wind Pressure as a function of wind speed in MPH


The pressure on a building is q=0.00256v^2
Gust Coeff
1
MPH

q PSF
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120

0.0
0.3
1.0
2.3
4.1
6.4
9.2
12.5
16.4
20.7
25.6
31.0
36.9

q inches water
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.8
2.4
3.2
4.0
4.9
6.0
7.1

Pressure PSF & In Water

Wind Pressure
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0

q PSF
q inches water

50

100
Speed MPH

150

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