The wooden construction phase of the new InnoRenew CoE building complex recently concluded, and all partitions and installation work in this part will soon be completed. During installation work, moisture monitoring sensors were installed in the wooden load-bearing structure and roof of the main building.

“What is special about the installed sensors’ networks is the precise monitoring of different layers of façades on wooden load-bearing walls, of wooden construction in the so-called wet areas where there is high risk of local water spillage, and monitoring of moisture in the covering layers of flat roof,” said Eva Prelovšek Niemelä, InnoRenew CoE architect.

“The system has proven to be very useful also during construction as it can be used to monitor the humidity of construction timber before closing with new layers—façade, floors, protective layers of the roof. In this way, it is ensured that the entire wooden construction dries sufficiently before covering it with other layers. In parallel with the measurements of the built-in sensors, we also performed extensive manual measurements of construction timber, and the results of both measurements were comparable,” she added.

InnoRenew CoE building. Image: InnoRenew CoE

Sensors in the MoistureGuard system, developed at the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), have been successfully installed in the outer walls and wet areas. There are thirty-six (HT02) sensors in the outer walls, measuring humidity and temperature, and four (MHT04) sensors measuring humidity weight in the CLT panels. These sensors are monitoring the building envelope, including insulation layers. Sensors are located on all sides and stories of the building’s wooden construction. In the wet areas and tea kitchens, an additional eight (HT02) and seven (MHT04) sensors are installed. Upon completion of construction, all monitored data will give insight into the way wood is aging in the buildings and enable easier planning for timber construction in the future.

Installation of sensors. Image: InnoRenew CoE

“The CLT construction exposed to the conditions of the maritime climate offers a unique opportunity to deploy the MoistureGuard system and monitor the parameters of the structure since its inception,” said CTU representatives.

Read more about the installed sensors in the article Čidla z ČVUT střeží před vlhkostí největší slovinskou dřevostavbu, publsihed at the webpage Volty.