References for Fungal Risk - Building Materials - Moisture Content

A.  Industry Guidelines and Published Standards

Published standard: ISO 13788:2012(E). Moisture reports from IAQ Analytics reference certain parts of ISO 13788:2012(E), specifically section 4.3.2 "Internal humidity" and section 5 "Calculation of surface temperature to avoid critical surface humidity". The clauses of section 5 that are partially relevant are 5.1 "General", 5.3 "Design for avoidance of mould growth, corrosion or other moisture damage" and 5.2 "Determining parameters" (specifically items 5.2b and partially 5.2c, but not 5.2a).

The analysis in this report does not reference any thermal bridging, nor is thermal bridging taken into account nor excluded. The temperatures of any and all surfaces in this report are analysed regardless of any and all of the following: thermal influences in the indoor property as a whole, origin of heat in the indoor property as a whole, and locations of heat sinks in the indoor property as a whole. Similarly the origin of moisture in the indoor property as whole is not held to be from any particular source. Weather considerations, season considerations, and construction practices that are specified in ISO 13788:2012(E) are not referenced in any IAQ Analytics report.

Temperatures of glass panes are not eligible to be input to any analysis by IAQ Analytics. However, where a surface temperature-measurement is of a window frame the temperature of the window frame represents the temperature of the window-glass pane to a reasonable approximation. In such cases, clause 5.4 “Design for the limitation of surface condensation on low thermal inertia elements” of ISO 13788:2012(E) also applies in part (specifically clauses 5.4b to 5.4f inclusive apply, but not 5.4a). Door glass panes and door frames containing glass are subject to the same IAQ Analytics caveats as those governing window frames and window glass panes.

B.  Empirical principles of interest

Analyses of mould and dampness indoors generally require linking mould and dampness through empirical principles, or even through precedents. The following references, of an academic style, broadly cover these principles:

Humidity and Moisture Content:

  1. Richardson J. F. & Harker J. H. (2002) Particle Technology and Separation Processes, Sections 16.1 and 16.2 of Chapter 16 “Drying”, In Coulson and Richardson’s Chemical Engineering, Volume 2, Fifth Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.
  2. Vaisala Oyj, Humidity Conversion Formulas, Chapter 3 “Calculation of dewpoint from RH”, Downloaded 27th May 2019 from:
    https://www.vaisala.com/sites/default/files/documents/Humidity_Conversion_Formulas_B210973EN-F.pdf

Mould Risk as a Function of Time and Dampness:

  1. Hukka A, Viitanen HA (1999), A mathematical model of mould growth on wooden material, Wood Science and Technology 33, 475-485.
  2. Smith SI, Hill ST (1982), Influence of temperature and water activity on germination and growth of Aspergillus restrictus and A. versicolor. Trans. Br. mycol. Soc. 79, 558-560.
  3. Ayerst G (1969). The effects of moisture and temperature on growth and spore germination in some fungi, Stored Prod. Res., 5, 127-141.

C.  Proprietary Guidelines

Guideline: Fungal Risk - Moisture Content - Building Materials. The Fungal Risk - Moisture Content - Building Materials report is a sub-industry guideline, designed for the domestic and office space sector of the Indoor Air Quality industry. It does not explicitly reference any national standards for moisture content, but instead respects international benchmarks, selectively. A Fungal Risk - Moisture Content -Building Materials report references no construction guidelines nor specifies any schedule of follow-up testing. The term Fungal Risk - Moisture Content -Building Materials © is copyright to IAQ Analytics Pty Ltd. 2019.