Ventilated air cavities for the control of rising damp in historical buildings. Functional analysis

This study analyzes the behavior of ventilated air cavities and their level of efficiency when used for the control of rising damp and the associated pathological damage in walls and foundations of historical buildings. The methodology is based on experiments on-site and monitoring. Knowledge of local climate conditions, the surroundings of the building, its construction features and the type of foundation constitute the preliminary conditions for the monitoring. In order to reach the goal we have measured several parameters according to a plan, developed graphical tools for the study, and prepared statistical data. The building of this system has not always been accompanied by a thorough assessment that would justify the intervention. The results show how this situation has affected the design strategies and sizing of the ventilated air cavities, limiting in many cases their efficiency.