Can I Model a Curtain Wall Spandrel with HAMT?

A curtain wall spandrel is the non-structural, opaque panel located between the vision glass and the slab edge in a curtain wall system. It conceals structural elements and provides thermal insulation and aesthetic continuity.

Curtain Wall Spandrel HAMT Model

To model a curtain wall spandrel with an EnergyPlus Heat and Moisture Transfer (HAMT) simulation, a simply material configuration is needed. In this example, aluminium sheeting with high vapour resistance is placed on either side of a generic glass wool insulation.

Note, encapsulating a vapour open product with 2 layers of aluminium sheeting with high vapour resistance can cause model convergence errors and may need to a failure to complete the simulation for the entire Run Period.

Curtain Wall Spandrel HAMT Results

The example inputs and results below are for a cold climate over a 5 year Run Period, using the Mould Growth Index Objective to assess the spandrel moisture performance.

To satisfy the Objective's criteria, the insulation mold growth must be less than 3.0 within the outer 10mm of each material and throughout all time periods. The evaluation encompassed two regions within the wall system, encompassing four finite-element cells. The most vulnerable region attained a maximum index of 1.5, indicating compliance with all acceptance criteria.