Evaluating low carbon floor slab materials for improved energy efficiency in historic buildings

The replacement of solid ground floors can be used to improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings. Proposals often include the replacement of an existing floor with some form of insulated concrete or ‘limecrete’ ground bearing slab. It is a widely-held belief that if an impermeable ground bearing slab is installed in an old building, ground moisture will be ‘driven’ up adjacent walls. Although there are numerous references to this phenomenon, both in technical and product literature, they tend to be anecdotal and unsupported by scientific evidence.

The costs of improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings can be very high, but the additional costs of remedying damp problems resulting from retrofitting may be higher still. Furthermore, moisture problems can adversely affect the health of occupants, and harm building fabric. Therefore, it is important to better understand how ground bearing slabs, both permeable and impermeable, affect the behaviour and transport of moisture in the ground and in adjacent walls. Field experiments will be conducted in the historic city of Bath and supported by laboratory material testing. The findings of the research will contribute to an evidence base that will enable informed decisions to be made about retrofitting floors within historic buildings.

Please contact Dr Kevin Briggs ([Email Address Removed]) to discuss your application before formal submission.