Energy rehabilitation of portuguese ancient buildings : a first step into the existing schist buildings in the Alto Douro Wine Region

Abstract

In general, this paper is focused on studding the ancient traditional schist buildings of the Alto Douro Wine Region, in the northeast of Portugal. In particular, it is devoted to evaluate the thermal performance of this type of buildings. Having accurate data related to this technical aspect is extremely relevant to perform an adequate future rehabilitation process. In fact, considering that the Alto Douro Wine Region is a relevant heritage, in which this type of buildings is an important part, to take preservation actions is crucial. Therefore, at this stage, ten ancient schist buildings were studied in terms of materials and construction details. The thermal behavior of a schist wall, with a thickness of 0,62 m, of one of these buildings was tested “in situ”, using a heat flux meter transfer system during ten consecutive days. The results obtained show that the thermal transmission coefficient of the schist wall is 1,114 W/m2oC. This value is lower than the one presented in the literature review and lower than the value obtained for other construction solutions. The study of the thermal behavior of the schist wall is important, in order to help future rehabilitation processes of this type of buildings. Further research work is required in order to test the results obtained in the work developed so far.