Design for moisture safety

The construction of structures and building components must be based on thorough “design” for moisture safety. This was proposed already in 1970 by the first “moisture group” in Lund (Adamson, Ahlgren, Bergström & Nevander) and L-O Nilsson demonstrated in 1991 in detail how it could be done for soil moisture and excess moisture in concrete slabs-on-grade. The new Rules BBR06, from Boverket - The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning, to be applied from July 1, 2007, have completely new regulations in chapter 6.5 on moisture. Now, a thorough moisture design is required from every owner of a building. The Moisture Engineering Institute has developed a Guidance (in Swedish) on how to design different building components for moisture safety following these rules, “Byggvägledning Fukt”, available from www.byggbokhandeln.com