Performance assessment of advanced materials in architectural envelopes

Along the development of society, many research activities are conducted on the development of novel materials, which are ultimately targeted at improving the quality of life of building users. For each particular development, assessment procedures need to be defined, based on the expected performance of materials, considering its final impact in the building where they are installed.

In this work, a specification and assessment framework is proposed at building, construction system and material scale. The type of information for a proper specification is provided, and a set of test typologies are given for each development scales. Furthermore, the link of this procedure with technology readiness roadmaps is provided.

Finally two case studies of full scale assessments are provided for different products: a novel aerogel material, and an industrialized timber component with hemp-based products.