Hygroscopic Inertia as a Function of Transient Behavior of Covering Materials PDF

This paper presents recent work on analysis of the importance of hygroscopic inertia in the hygrothermal behavior of buildings. The paper first discusses the role of hygroscopic materials in moderating the inside relative humidity variation in countries of mild climate of which Portugal is an example. Then laboratory tests, aimed at characterizing the behavior of covering materials in transient conditions, are presented, as well as some conclusions provided by these tests.