COMPARING TRANSIENT SIMULATION WITH THERMOGRAPHY TIME SERIES

Thermography is an emerging technology used by construction professionals focused upon the thermal and condition performance of buildings. However, the interpretation of thermal images is difficult and often misinterpreted. This paper reports on initial work that compares thermographic images from relatively simple experimental setups with transient models of the same experiment. Thermographic images were obtained from a FLIR ThermaCam S65 while simulation was undertaken using the Voltra transient heat transfer program. The work highlights some of the inherent problems with interpreting thermal images of actual buildings, and suggests how these comparisons can provid a better understanding of real-life material performance.