Products tailored to different climates and applications

Although the basic idea of building is the same worldwide, building regulations and traditions abroad can vary greatly from those in Germany. This is often due to different climatic conditions. While fire and noise protection are largely independent of climatic conditions, it is generally much harder to transfer experience and requirements concerning thermal and moisture control to other countries.

As a result of numerous international projects, product developments and worldwide cooperations, the experts of Fraunhofer IBP have gained extensive know-how in this field. They also possess the necessary tools to assess energy efficiency and humidity issues related to buildings in the various climate zones around the globe.

Our routine examinations include, for example:

• assessing condensation risks due to vapor diffusion from the inside (e.g. cold areas and mountains) or from the outside (e.g. tropical and subtropical areas)
• predicting the service life and assessing the durability of building structures for other climate zones by comparing hygrothermal conditions in the target region with those in the country of origin
• analyzing climate data, or compiling or verifying meteorological data sets to simulate  hygrothermal conditions

This enables us to develop energy-efficient construction concepts for growth markets, e.g. in Asia, which are adapted to the compact urban design and local climate. In addition, we work with industrial partners to develop new, cost-efficient building products and systems that offer users in the respective country not only a high technical quality but also added value by improving the indoor climate.

We provide answers to the following questions for our customers:

• Which insulation system (exterior, interior, core insulation) is best suited to the respective climatic and usage conditions?
• Does a system proven in Germany also work in another region? What temperature and humidity conditions is the material exposed to at the respective location? Is it durable under these conditions?
• Are proven test methods suitable for simulating conditions in another climate zone? How can load cycles be adapted in the laboratory in order to best adapt a product to the given conditions?
• Which climate data sets are suitable for simulating hygrothermal conditions? Who can provide these?