Interlaboratory comparison of hygric properties of porous building materials

The precision of methods used for the determination of hygric properties of porous building materials was investigated. The study was performed in the framework of the EU-initiated HAMSTAD-project. Six laboratories measured the selected hygric properties of three porous building materials. While the most measured properties show acceptable agreement, yet, it was found that some of the existing standards or commonly accepted measurement methods need improvement. Most striking were large variations in the results of the vapour transmission tests performed in accordance to the existing European Standard.