Instructions

Thermal Gradient and Vapor Pressure in a Wall Assembly - Overview

This workbook calculates and displays several items commonly needed when dealing with wall
assemblies. It uses standard methods, but most specifically uses the methods defined in:
Thermal and Moisture Protection Manual - Christine Beall McGraw Hill1998. The ones currently
included are:
- Thermal gradient across a wall
- Saturation vapor pressure across a wall
- Actual vapor pressure across a wall
- Joint width necessary to address component movements and construction tolerances.
- Thermal Bridging
- Wind pressure on a wall in both PSF and inches of water
The main worksheet is the Wall Gradients worksheet. It is protected so that you won't make
unecessary mistakes while entering data. If you wish to make changes you can unprotect the document
since there is no password.
The Saturation Pressure Worksheet shows the coefficients of the polynomial that is used to
approximate the Saturated Water Pressure in the range -50c to 50c for which this equation is valid.
Notes:
- The worksheet is set up to accept up to 8 materials in the wall plus the airfilms on either side. You
should work from the left side entering material names, thickness and properties. The worksheet will
work properly if you enter fewer than 8 materials.
- For thermal resistance the sheet is set up to expect Resistance per inch and then to calculate the total
resistance based on the thickness of the material. If you are given a specific Resistance (as for an air
film) then you can overide the calcuation.
- Similarly, for Vapor Resistance the sheet is set up to accept permeability and then calculate vapor
resistance per inch and the actual vapor resistance. You can override these last two.
Latest update 10/19/2003
J. Mitchell

Page 1

Instructions

erview

ealing with wall

defined in:
998. The ones currently

rances.

t you won't make

unprotect the document

that is used to
is equation is valid.

ms on either side. You

s. The worksheet will

en to calculate the total

sistance (as for an air

hen calculate vapor

two.

Page 2

Wall Gradients

Thermal & Vapor Pressure Gradient Calculator

Temp DegF TempDegC
68
20
17
-8
-51
-28

Inside Conditions
Outside Conditions
Delta

Rh
50%
73%

Wind
0
15

Sat VP Actual VP
0.691
0.345
0.096
0.070
-0.2749068

12.9 Inches
13.7
2.8

Total Wall Thickness

Total Wall R
Total Wall Rep
AirFilm_In
Material Name
Thickness in
X_Distance
R/in
R
Permeabilty
Vapor Resistance/In
Vapor Resistance

0
0.68
120
0.008
0.008

Temp on On Right
Temp (DegC)
Saturated Vap Press
Actual Vap Press
Delta Vap Press

Mat1
Mat2
Mat3
Mat4
Mat5
Mat6
Gypsum Conc Block Polyst Ins AirSpace
Brick
0.5
6
1.5
1
3.875
0.5
6.5
8
9
12.875
12.875
1
0.255 6.2533333
0.97
0.11
0
0.5
1.53
9.38
0.97
0.42625
0
18.75
19.2
1.2
120
3.2
0.053
0.052
0.833
0.008
0.313
0.000
0.027
0.313
1.250
0.008
1.211
0.000

65
64
58
23
19
18
18
18.6
18
14
-5
-7
-8
-8
0.6325
0.5926
0.4838
0.1238
0.1061
0.0991
0.0991
0.344
0.342
0.311
0.189
0.188
0.070
0.070
0.2880322464 0.25070475 0.1724728 -0.0651577 -0.0819831 0.0295344 0.0295344

Thermal Gradient in Wall

70
60

Temp DegF

50
40
30
20
10
0
0

10

12

14

Vapor Pressure - inches of HG

Vapor Pressure in Wall

0.700
0.600
0.500
0.400
0.300
0.200
0.100
0.000
0

Wall X_Distance

Wall X-Distance

Page 1

10

12

14

Wall Gradients

Mat7

Mat8

Airfilm_out

12.875
0
0

12.875
0
0

0.17

0.000
0.000

0.000
0.000

0.000
0.000

18
18
17
-8
-8
-8
0.0991
0.0991
0.0964
0.070
0.070
0.070
0.0295344 0.0295344 0.0268536

essure in Wall

Saturated Vap Press

Actual Vap Press

10

12

14

tance

Page 2

Joint Width

The necessary width for a joint is addressed in Chapter 9 of Thermal and Moisture Protection Manual. There are
components that must included to determine the design width.
Jt = Thermal movement
Jm = Moisture movement
Jc = Construction Tolerances

Material
JL
JTW
Jta
JX
JS
JCT
JCM
Sm
SSF
JC
JTS
JdeltaT
Jmt
JT
JM
J

Marble
300
35
100
75
0.8
8.6
8
25%
80%
0.25
160
125
0.3225
1.6125
0.0024

Inches
DegF
DegF

Pct
Pct
Inches
DegF
DegF
Inches
Inches
Inches

1.8649 Inches

Name of Material Considered

Material Length in Inches
Extreme Winter Wall Temperature
Dry bulb Extreme summer air temperature
Constant for heat capacity of material (table 9.2)
Solar absorption coefficient (table 9.3)
Thermal Expansion Coefficient
Moisture Movment Coefficient
Sealant Movement Capacity
Sealant Safety Factor
Construction Tolerance
Extreme Summer Wall Surface Temperature
Change in Temperature
Thermal Movement of Joint
Joint minimum width for thermal movement
Joint minimum width for moisture movement
Design Joint minimum width

Page 1

Joint Width

sture Protection Manual. There are 3

Page 2

Saturation Pressure

Saturation Pressure of Water Calculation

Range Good -58 to 122
TinF
TinC
EsPoly
Sat_Water_In

DegF

69
20.5555555556

Coefficients of Polynomial for

a1
a2
a3
a4
a5
a6
a7

24.204 Mb
0.7147 In of HG

The saturation pressure of water vapor is a complicated

physical function. Good approximations to it are given at
http://hurri.kean.edu/~yoh/calculations/satvap/satvap.html

Calculating Mb to inches of Mercury

1 Mb
1 MM
1 Mb

This spreadsheet uses the Polynomial approximation good

from -50c to 50c, approximately -58f to 122f.
This worksheet shows the coefficients of the polynomial and
how it is actually calculated. The main worksheet uses the
same formula

Page 3

Saturation Pressure

Coefficients of Polynomial for

6.11E+000
4.44E-001
1.43E-002
2.65E-004
3.02E-006
2.04E-008
6.39E-011

to inches of Mercury
0.7500617 Mm of Hg
0.03937008 Inches
0.0295299891 Inches of HG

Page 4

Thermal Bridging Calculation

Insulation Values
ValueR1
ValueR2
ValueR3
ValueR4
ValueR5

1
1
1
18
6

a+b =

12 in

Total Insulation Calculation

Insulation Stud Path
R1
1
1
R2
1
1
R3
1
R4
18
R5
6
Total
21
8

Effective Insulation
Reff
Decrease
Decrease%

17.5
3.5
17%

Dimensions
a
b

10.5 inches
1.5 inches

R1
R5

R2

This sheet allows you to calculate the decrease in effective insulation valu
bridging. It assumes a stud-like material with insulating material filling bet

Vary the dimensions and the insulation values to see the decrease in effe

You can see that the formula in B24 is

=((Insulation_R*Stud_R)*(a+b)) / (a*Stud_R+b*Insulation_R)
This is derived from equating the sum of the heat flows through the two se
an "effective" resistance over the total width path and solving for the effec

Note that when you have metal bridging the calculation is more complex b
much small of the metal. In this case you must calculate a tributary area.
calculations.

a
b

R1

R3
R5

R2

ecrease in effective insulation value due to simple thermal

l with insulating material filling between the studs.

alues to see the decrease in effective insulation value.

d_R+b*Insulation_R)
the heat flows through the two separate paths to the heat flow of
idth path and solving for the effective resistance.

the calculation is more complex because the dimensions are so

u must calculate a tributary area. See 3.4.2 of Beall for those

Wind Pressure as a function of wind speed in MPH

The pressure on a building is q=0.00256v^2
Gust Coeff
1
MPH

q PSF
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120

0.0
0.3
1.0
2.3
4.1
6.4
9.2
12.5
16.4
20.7
25.6
31.0
36.9

q inches water
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.8
2.4
3.2
4.0
4.9
6.0
7.1

Pressure PSF & In Water

Wind Pressure
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0

q PSF
q inches water

20

40

60

80

Speed MPH

100

120

140

F
hes water