Tore Kvande

• Dr.ing
• Professor (Full) at Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Reducing the energy consumption of the existing building stock is of paramount importance in the race to reach national and international climate goals. While multiple initiatives are in place and provide guidance, heritage-protected buildings are often not part of the equation. Protected buildings make up a large share of the existing building sto...

To implement the geographical and future climate adaptation of building moisture design for building projects, practitioners need efficient tools, such as precalculated climate indices to assess climate loads. Among them, the Frost Decay Exposure Index (FDEI) describes the risk of freezing damage for clay bricks in facades. Previously, the FDEI has...

Increasing climate fluctuations and extremes due to climate change are particularly concerning for wooden building envelopes, especially in the Nordic region, which has harsh climatic conditions. The exterior coating’s barrier properties are crucial for maintaining building envelopes’ intended lifespans. Hence, it is unfortunate that the vapor resi...

Rehabilitating water-damaged structures in buildings results in increased material extraction and energy use, and, consequently, a higher carbon footprint of the housing industry. Despite its prevalence, quantifying the carbon footprint caused by water damage or flooding has not gained much attention. Thus, this study investigated the quantitative...

This paper investigates how a redesign of five single-family houses can comply with the Norwegian definition of a net zero emission building (ZEB). Central to the ZEB definition used in this study is the assumption that greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) can be compensated by exporting generated electricity from photovoltaic (PV) systems, thus avoidin...

The ambition of the Paris agreement is “carbon neutrality” by 2050. But what is “carbon neutrality”? How do we design a “carbon neutral” building? And how to teach this concept to engineering students? TBA4171 is an advanced course in Building Technology, given as the last course before the final thesis for the master students in building technolog...

A six-year study investigates the challenges of balancing stakeholders’ interests when implementing climate adaptation regulations and makes a case for analytical tools that can improve the acceptance and adoption of local planning initiatives. In this study, the challenges of adopting European Union and Norwegian national climate adaptation regula...

Building defects are very prevalent and contribute significantly to a building’s economic value. There are numerous information sources on building defects that have significant potential for learning more about building defects. This study aimed to identify the information sources used in previous building defect studies and to identify the motiva...

Building defects are very prevalent and contribute significantly to a building's economic value. There are numerous information sources on building defects that have a lot potential for learning more about building defects. This study aimed to identify the information sources used in previous building defect studies and to identify the motivation f...

The aim of this case study was to estimate the impact of future adaptation to climate change with respect to frost on emissions from road construction. Based on the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) published by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, the Norwegian Centre for Climate Services has predicted statistical frost quant...

To reduce the carbon impact of new buildings, wood is seeing increased use as a structural material. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated wood (glulam) elements allow the construction of multi-storey buildings. However, wood is vulnerable to moisture, especially when naked wood is exposed to weather during the construction process. This...

To evaluate the suitability of materials and solutions in building envelopes, it is necessary to quantify the relevant climate loads. The critical climate load is typically a combination of multiple parameters, such as temperature and precipitation. Climate indices may be used for finding critical climate loads, and their use helps guide design cho...

Indoor ice sports arenas are complex buildings that typically consume large amounts of energy. The energy is mainly used to freeze the ice rink and to keep the indoor air temperature and relative humidity at appropriate levels. Reducing the energy consumption and the carbon footprint from construction, operation, and material use, presents certain...

The joints around heavy terrace doors are considered a weak point in rain-exposed façades, as it is vulnerable to defects in design and construction. The insertion process of heavy sliding doors is a notable challenge. Design recommendations from manufacturers as well as national advisory agencies are currently lacking. This paper presents a full-s...

Windows are important in buildings intended for human activities as they let in daylight and provide views. However, they may also be vulnerable in terms of heat loss, air leaks, rain tightness, and durability. In Nordic climates featuring severe driving rain exposure, water tightness is of outmost importance. SINTEF has for many decades been testi...

Smart vapour barriers enable building envelopes to dry toward the interior side. This property can be used in compact wooden roofs to create more slender structures by placing the wooden load-bearing elements inside the insulation layer. There is, however, some concern that the ceiling assembly on the interior side may inhibit inward drying by trap...

Energy retrofit of existing masonry buildings has become attractive to meet demands for reduction in energy consumption. Retrofit may, however, introduce moisture risk that needs to be assessed. Hygrothermal simulation analysis is often conducted in this respect. Nevertheless, hygrothermal simulation of interior insulated bare brick masonry exposed...

The timely implementation of climate adaptation measures for the urban environment is essential to the creation of robust cities. Within Norway, these adaptation measures are undertaken at the municipal level. Unfortunately, the implementation of adaptation measures has lagged behind expectations, partially due to public resistance to local project...

The global climate is changing. Predicting the impacts this will have on buildings is the first step in the process of finding suitable building adaptation measures. Future climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure is a growing field of research, relying on both socio-economical and meteorological research for input values to the simulatio...

This article analyses adaptation to climate induced challenges in form of torrential rains hitting urban landscapes in Norway with increased frequency. Specifically, it investigates the influence of the industry structure on ethical challenges when the climate changes. A meta-analysis of the scientific output from a major multi-disciplinary researc...

Harsh climatic conditions in the Nordic countries are being worsened by climate change, which increases the moisture load on building façades. New types of defects are being observed in air cavities in well-designed and well-built wooden façades and roofs. More knowledge is required on the microclimatic conditions in air cavities and roofs, and the...

Due to increasingly stringent requirements, tapes and adhesive joints are a commonly used method to ensure tightness and energy efficiency in modern building envelopes. Previous studies have researched and tested properties such as the strength and tightness of adhesive joints. So far, water vapour resistance has been neglected. This article aims t...

Façade panel systems with horizontal open joints are commonly used on larger buildings in Nordic countries. Excessive water intrusion through open joints may cause deterioration of the façade, a concern exacerbated by climate change. Previous studies have shown that current design recommendations for open-joint façade panel systems may not be optim...

The moisture safety designs of basements used for habitation have become a topic of concern. Basements are prone to high moisture strain and have a limited outward drying ability compared with above-grade structures. The risk of interior moisture-related damage can be reduced if the basement walls are allowed to dry outward below grade. The use of...

Accurate values for the climatic conditions in an air cavity, hereby called the microclimate, are crucial when calculating and simulating the performance of a ventilated roof and façade system. The climatic stress of its components and their mould and rot potential influence the long-term durability of the roof or façade. A scoping study is conduct...

Liquid moisture transport plays a key role in performance of many building assemblies. For hygrothermal simulation models, used to assess such assemblies, it is important to include realistic liquid transport properties for the specific porous building materials involved. Unfortunately, comprehensive experimental and modeling methods associated wit...

The construction industry is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which has a negative environmental impact. Several studies have highlighted the possibility of using timber to reduce the environmental impact of construction. Most of these studies have focused on residential buildings, but little attention has been devoted to industrial b...

Climate adaptation measures address the challenges that densification and climate change impose on the urban environment. Sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) constructs include the introduction of natural elements, such as riparian buffers, vegetative filters, rain beds, water spills, watermark filters, retainers and dams, and are an integral...

Basements used for habitation represent a major challenge in terms of moisture safety design; they are prone to high moisture strain and have a limited ability for outward drying compared to structures above grade. Exterior vapor-permeable thermal insulation is used in countries with cold climates to enable outward drying. However, its effect is no...

The ZEB Laboratory, designed to be a test environment for building technology, energy use, ventilation, and user-building interaction, is an example of how to reach the ambition of Zero Emission Building (ZEB) through production of renewable energies. After the first year of use, real data are used to validate simulations.

In the building industry, the interest into adhesive tape to achieve a more tight and robust building envelope has increased rapidly in recent years. With an increasing demand for energy efficiency in buildings, national building authorities are strengthening building requirements to mitigate and adapt to future climate impacts. This paper studies...

Building façades must endure severe climatic exposure throughout their lifetimes. To prevent damage and expensive repairs, ageing tests are used in durability assessments. The NT Build 495 describes an artificial ageing procedure to address building material and component resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light, heat, water, and frost using a climate...

Plastic insulation materials, particularly polystyrene insulation, are widely used in the construction sector because of their good insulating capabilities and mechanical stability. However, in many building applications, the insulation materials are exposed to high levels of moisture over prolonged periods, which increases the thermal conductivity...

The building sector is responsible for approximately 40 % of the energy consumption and carbon emissions worldwide. Buildings of the future will have to comply not only with stricter energy regulations, but they will also have to face changing climate challenges. To increase the level of interdisciplinary knowledge and to develop and test innovativ...

Unventilated wood-frame roofs may provide smaller roof thickness and less material use compared to conventional unventilated roofs with all the thermal insulation above the load bearing structure. Unventilated roofs are, however, normally built without wooden materials between the vapour barrier and roof membrane due to moisture safety. Field measu...

The SINTEF building defects archive is an important source to knowledge on building defects in Norway. This study presents a review of defects investigated by SINTEF in the period 2017–2020, including 175 defect cases registered in 125 reports. The main goal is to understand the primary causes of process induced building defects today and which bui...

As climate change in the Nordic region brings an increase in extreme precipitation events, blue-green roofs have emerged as a solution for stormwater management, hereafter referred to as “blue-green roofs”. The addition of blue-green layers on a conventional compact roof represents several multi-disciplinary technical challenges and quality risks t...

Hygrothermal simulations are widely used to predict and optimise the hygrothermal performances of building envelopes. For the walls and floors in basements, however, determining the variation of the exterior hygrothermal boundary conditions below grade are challenging due to the various and complex heat and moisture loads and the large area needed...

Blue-green roofs are increasingly adopted as a measure to reduce risk related to stormwater events. However, as a novel building element, they present elements of uncertainty in themselves. The integrity of the roof is vitally important to long-term building operation, it is therefore important to understand the extent and impacts of this uncertain...

To meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals of climate change mitigation and sustainable cities, low-carbon or carbon-negative buildings are becoming increasingly common. The buildings are planned to compensate for the embodied energy in their materials by using low-emission materials and generating emission-free energy. Embodied energy is minimiz...

Hygrothermal challenges are introduced when equipping facades of existing masonry buildings with interior insulation. If not addressed, moisture damages to the building envelope may follow. Many measures for overcoming reduction in drying potential have been proposed and studied. Still, more understanding is needed regarding effects of measures. Th...

As climate change brings an increase in torrential rain events in Nordic climates, new technologies are developed to manage stormwater. Blue-green roofs are constructed as a means to reduce the runoff of stormwater from roofs and reduce the risk of urban flooding. However, compared to conventional roofs, blue-green roofs represent different constru...

The aim of this paper is to analyze the basic criteria, trends, applications, and developments related to climate adaptation in building maintenance and operation management (MOM) practices in Norway. Investigations conducted as part of the study include an analysis of current literature addressing climate adaptation in relation to MOM practices, s...

As the climate changes globally and locally, the built environment will be subject to different climatic exposure than in the past. Adaptation measures are required to ensure the long-term integrity and successful operation of the built environment. This study examines literature on climate adaptation measures for buildings through a scoping litera...

Pitched wooden roofs are ventilated through an air cavity beneath the roofing in order to remove heat and moisture from the roof construction. The ventilation is driven by wind pressure and thermal buoyancy. This paper studies ventilation driven by thermal buoyancy in the air cavity of inclined roofs. The influence of air cavity design and roof inc...

In many countries with a cold climate, basements are used as dwellings. This presents a major challenge concerning moisture safety design. Climate change is expected to increase the risk of moisture-related damage in basements owing to increasing amounts of stormwater, annual precipitation, and annual temperatures. This study examines the primary m...

The use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) elements in buildings is an innovative and upcoming construction method. In Norway, due to its eco-friendly potential, more widespread use of the method is expected despite limited experience to date. The lack of a domestic guiding literature related to issues such as moisture behaviour is creating uncertaint...

To reduce loads on urban drainage systems and facilitate local infiltration of stormwater, it is desired to lead runoff water from roofs through external drains and into the local soil. However, in cold climates, situations often arise where water freezes in external drainpipes, damaging the pipes and preventing drainage. This article investigates...

Compact roofs are normally built without organic materials between the vapour barrier and the roof membrane due to moisture safety risks. However, laboratory measurements indicate that organic materials could be used provided that a smart vapour barrier (SVB) is applied at the warm face of the roof construction. The aim of this study is to investig...

In many countries with a cold climate, basements are used as dwellings. This presents a major challenge concerning moisture safety design. Climate change is expected to increase the risk of moisture-related damage in basements owing to increasing amounts of stormwater, annual precipitation, and annual temperatures. This study examines the primary m...

ZEB Laboratory is a full-scale office building with a ZEB-COM ambition, searching a high degree of flexibility and where components and technical systems can be modified for research purposes. Project delivery of a living laboratory with a ZEB standard is not an easy task. The implementation of the ZEB method in a partnering contract as a project d...

Use of solar cells (PV) and solar collectors are key remedies in buildings where a large part of the energy supply should be based on renewable energy. The aim of this work has been to evaluate calculated and measured solar production of two identical BIPV roofs located at the ZEB Living Laboratory situated at NTNU-campus in Trondheim. Temperature,...

This paper assesses the total carbon emissions of a single-family home designed and built for Norwegian conditions, according to current standards (TEK 17), using an LCA approach. Various combinations of insulation thicknesses are assessed to identify which combination is most efficient in lowering the lifetime emissions as well as in which part of...

The purpose of the study is to investigate data on climate implication and adaptation measures for energy use in buildings. It is based on a scoping literature review, concerned mainly with the main journals operating in the field of climate adaptation of the built environment. Research documents that significant changes are taking place due to the...

Flat roof constructions covered with flexible roofing is a common feature on large buildings, as they are robust and require little maintenance. However, faults in flat roof design or their assembly could lead to costly building damages or defects. A preliminary mapping of main risk factors for flat roof defects has been carried out by studying des...

External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) with Rendering are widely used in both rehabilitation and new building projects, even in areas with harsh climates such as the western regions of Norway. However, we have seen extensive cases of defects involving such systems. This paper presents a comprehensive review of Norwegian experiences r...

Green and blue-green roofs are emerging as an increasingly popular feature of rooftops, particularly in urban areas. Particular problematic conditions render their usage complex in the Nordic countries. In order to ensure that green roofs are built durable and with the service life expected of them, it is important to know all the relevant factors...

Wind pressure coefficients (cp) are important inputs for analytical calculations of wind load. The aim of this research is to investigate wind pressure coefficients on a test house located in Norway in order to pave the way for improved analysis of wind-driven roofing ventilation. The large-scale test measurements show that the wind pressure coeffi...

Pitched roofs with a ventilated air cavity to avoid snow melt and ensure dry conditions beneath the roofing are a widely used construction in northern parts of Europe and America. The purpose of this study has been to determine pressure losses at the inlet (eaves) and inside the air cavity consisting of friction losses and passing of tile battens....

In the next decades, buildings and infrastructure will be exposed to significantly different climatic strains than they are today. Still, building standards and design guidelines presuppose use of historic weather data. Thus, we need a point of departure for the support of decision-making aimed at reducing risk and climate vulnerability in the buil...

This study investigates the influence of temperature and air velocity conditions on ventilation and condensation in spring, summer and autumn periods inside a ventilated cavity in a full-scale wooden roof construction. The roof has 81 thermocouples, four air velocity measurement devices, and a weather station to record temperature and wind velocity...

This study presents an overview of research initiatives and projects addressing climate adaption in management operation and maintenance (MOM) and upgrade of existing buildings. The aim was to identify knowledge needs and research demand necessary for decision makers to address climate adaptation in their MOM and upgrade plans. Climate adaptation o...

This study identifies building technical challenges when upgrading roofs and rebuilding them as blue-green roofs in Nordic climate. Identification of challenges were done through several steps – a literature study, interviews with architect, contractor, consultants, researchers and property developers, in addition to a case study of two existing ro...

Alongside well-researched themes such as water and moisture, the service life and function of masonry veneers are often compromised by precipitation combined with poor design considerations, execution, and selection of materials. Little research has been carried out on the subject of the impact of mortar consistency on masonry's resistance to drivi...

The purpose of this study was to investigate how natural convection in air-permeable glass wool insulation affects the thermal transmittance in walls, roofs and floor structures. The results can be used to evaluate the need for a convection barrier in thick mineral wool layers. Natural convection is affected by several parameters. In this study, th...

Interfaces between brick and mortar in masonry structures have in hygrothermal modeling often been given a resistance on the moisture transport across them. However, interfaces may also have some impact on transport of moisture along the interface planes themselves. In this paper experimental investigation has been conducted on how capillary absorp...

The building constructions investigated in this work are pitched wooden roofs with exterior vertical drainpipes and wooden load-bearing system. The aim of this research is to further investigate the building defects of pitched wooden roofs and obtain an overview of typical roof defects. The work involves an analysis of the building defect archive f...

Use of photovoltaics (PV) is key remedies in buildings where a large part of the energy supply should be based on renewable energy. PV in Nordic climate can be challenging because ofand temperatures below zero. The aim of this research work has been to provide a state-of-the art overview of recent experiences and challenges for building physical co...

Energy efficient buildings must be constructed as airtight as possible. In Norway the airtightness requirements have become stricter. This leads to a growing interest for airtight constructions and methods. Element chimneys of lightweight aggregate concrete, LWAC, are widely used in Norway. Air leakages are frequently observed in connection with th...

This paper presents challenges concerning design of masonry structures in severe climates. Empirical data on the design and performance of masonry buildings in Norway are presented, based on a comprehensive analysis of 302 process induced masonry defect assignments over a 20-year period from 1983 to 2002. Analyses of building defects are necessary...

The disintegrative process of freezing and thawing of porous, mineral materials represents a significant challenge in the design and construction of building enclosures. In this paper, we present a simple method for assessing the relative potential of a climate to accelerate frost decay based on multi-year records of daily air temperatures and rain...

The current Norwegian climate research structures, policies and priorities, mitigation and adaptation options are discussed as well as the development of local climate change projections and adaptation measures. A major difficulty is that Norway's present energy supply has a low carbon intensity because a substantial part derives from hydropower, b...

The relationship between building materials, structures and climate is complex and there is an urgent need for more accurate methods to assess building performance. For example, the lifetime of wooden cladding is strongly dependent on the local-level climatic impact. A national map of the potential for decay in wood structures in Norway is presente...

This paper presents a comprehensive review of process induced building defects investigated by SINTEF Building and Infrastructure in the 10-year period 1993-2002 (2,423 cases registered and described in 2,003 assignment reports). Defects related to the building envelope constitute 66% of the investigated cases. A bulk of the defects (76%) is relate...

Typical problem areas associated with weather-protective flashing are identified. based on a comprehensive investigation of building damage cases in Norway. A total of 175 assignment reports associated with damaged flashing for the period between 1963 and 2001 are analysed. The investigation clearly shows that certain faults and deficiencies are re...

Insufficient moisture control and climate adaptation in the building process is partially due to an increased centralisation and standardisation in the construction sector. Climate challenges and developments are not afforded sufficient attention in the building process. A fresh report from the SINTEF Building and Infrastructure programme "Climate...