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Faculty of Graduate Studies

Benjamin Croyle

  • BEng (University of Victoria, 2023)

Notice of the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Master of Applied Science

Topic

Hygrothermal Resiliency of Wood-Frame Wall Assemblies and Climate Change

Department of Civil Engineering

Date & location

  • Wednesday, May 13, 2026

  • 10:00 A.M.

  • Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

  • Dr. Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

  • Dr. Lina Zhou, Department of Civil Engineering, UVic (Member)

  • Dr. Caterina Valeo, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Uvic (Non-unit Member)

  • Dr. Leslie Peer, RJC Engineering (Non-Unit Member) 

External Examiner

  • Dr. T. Aaron Gulliver, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria 

Chair of Oral Examination

  • Dr. Nishant Mehta, Department of Computer Science, UVic

     

Abstract

Moisture-related deterioration in wood-frame building envelopes is a major concern in cold and wet climates and is expected to intensify under increasingly extreme conditions driven by climate change. Existing hygrothermal performance metrics do not adequately capture the resilience of building envelopes to prolonged and extreme moisture loading. This study presents a comprehensive hygrothermal analysis of the resilience of wood-frame building envelopes under extreme climates. Hygrothermal simulations were conducted in WUFI Pro V6.7 to evaluate brick, stucco, composite wood, and engineered wood clad wall assemblies in six Canadian climates. Across two chapters, the wall assemblies were analyzed under increasing wind-driven rain leakage and projected future climates. Two indices were developed to assess performance: a Robustness Index, based on peak moisture content to represent maximum loss of functionality, and a Resilience Index, which evaluates the capacity for moisture dissipation and recovery over time relative to a critical threshold. These metrics were validated against the mould growth index, a widely used indicator of biodeterioration risk. The results indicate that wall performance is strongly influenced by both the cladding properties and climate characteristics. Assemblies with high capillary uptake claddings were not resilient in low drying potential climates. Lightweight cladding assemblies were not robust under large amounts of wind-driven rain. The impact of climate change was found to be dependent on both location and cladding type. The robustness and resilience indices demonstrated greater sensitivity to performance changes at lower levels of biodeterioration risk than the mould growth index. This work provides a functionality-based framework for evaluating and comparing building envelope designs, supporting the development of more climate-adaptive wall assemblies under both current and future environmental conditions.

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