A research site for studying the effectiveness of facade systems in the Far North has opened in Murmansk on the grounds of Murmansk Arctic University, Interfax reports. Four house mock-ups with facade solutions common in Russia have been built on the site, and the foundation and roof of these structures have been additionally insulated to minimize heat loss.
The test stands are equipped with an automatic system that maintains a temperature of plus 21 degrees and humidity of 50-60%, and sensors record how much electricity is spent maintaining the specified parameters depending on weather changes. Deputy Governor Olga Vovk said that the region has difficult conditions for housing construction and operation because of high humidity, strong winds, and temperature fluctuations, and that there are currently no studies confirming that structural wear in Murmansk Oblast is higher than in other regions.
According to Vovk, the results of the site’s work will help explain at the federal level why facilities in Murmansk Oblast more often require major repairs, and determine which facade system is more efficient and durable in the local climate. The authorities also note that new homes currently being built in Murmansk Oblast are constructed with modern technologies and with snow and wind loads in mind.
The Association for the Development of Polymer Efficient Technologies, which organized the Murmansk site, previously opened such facilities in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Yakutia, taking local climate conditions into account. Association chair Olga Zauzelkova said that in the conditions of the Far North, research results can be seen in two to three years, whereas in other conditions it takes five to ten years, and that the site’s data should help bring changes to regulatory documents.
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