Moisture damage in buildings is a serious issue that leads to problematic consequences and high economic costs. Despite the knowledge and awareness existing about moisture problems, extensive damager still occurs today. Studies of moisture in the exterior wall constructions shows that the issue if often caused by rain and water intrusion. These kinds of problem result in major costs usually because the companies have to replace the material and structural components and also in some cases tear down large parts of the buildings.The work includes moisture theory and descriptions of four different exterior wall constructions, wood stud wall with plastered facade, exterior wall with wood facade, exterior wall with concrete, and exterior wall with brick facade. Our thesis work describes how the constructions are affected and moisture damage due to water intrusion.

The aim of this study was to investigate how seasonal variations affect the quality of logging residues. The study was hosted by VIDA Energy. Logging residues can be processed and transported within different systems. Today the dominant systems are chipping at landing and bulk transportation of logging residues. In these systems the handling of the logging residues are carried out in the same manner up to the landings. Moisture content at the time of chipping is the primary quality parameter. Fine fractions of logging residues are strongly dependent on moisture content in storage.

Byggsektorn har fortfarande svårigheter med att hantera fuktproblematiken.  Vi har valt att fokusera på hanteringen av material i produktion. Den informationssamling vi utfört ligger till grund för vår analys och slutsats. Vi har intervjuat flera olika entreprenörer från byggbranschen för att ge oss en helhetssyn av fuktsäkerheten ute på byggarbetsplatserna. Studien påvisar att det råder brister både på beställar- och entreprenörssidan. Vi ser att det finns potential för förbättring när det så krävs.

The concentration and storage of organic chlorine and chloride were determined in soil, to a depth of 40 cm, in a coniferous forest in the Stubbetorp catchment area in south-east Sweden. Also, the spatial distribution of the two forms of chlorine was determined. Soil samples were collected at 49 of the nodes in a grid with approximately 105 m between the nodes. The analysis of spatial variability suggested that no spatial autocorrelation was present either within the variable organic chlorine or chloride. This means that no sample was more influenced by another nearby sample, as compared to other samples further away.

This study was carried out at the request of the bio energy company Naturbränsle. The company handles annually 750 000 m3 of chips from logging residues from a large area, from Östergötland in the south to Härjedalen in the north. In that area, about 50 bio fuel plants are customers. When Naturbränsle deliver chips from logging residues to their customers, the moisture content varies from 30 % to 60 %. The aim of the study was to sort out the affecting factors on the moisture content in the chips during handling and storage processes.

The impact of the distribution in the soil volume of two farm manures on the net mineralization and immobilization processes of nitrogen were studied in an incubation experiment. Cattle slurry and broiler litter were placed in the soil with three procedures for incorporation including placement on top of the soil (TOP), in the middle of the soil (MID) and mixed homogenously with the soil (MIX). During the two weeks of incubation, few significant differences in net mineralization were seen between TOP, MID and MIX. However, there was a tendency that MIX led to a larger net immobilization of N than placement at one point (TOP and MID). This is also the result in the literature.

The author has, with the help of AK Consultancy Indoor Air AB, formed a series of questions regarding moisture problems in buildings and how these are handled in extreme climates with high temperatures and a high relative humidity. Furthermore to analyse and indentify key material that makes a construction safe against moisture problems. Ventilation, AC and the choice of materials have in a later stage of the thesis been investigated to enhance the knowledge of moisture protection. The research for this report includes measurements on existing buildings, calculation models on the building envelope for analyses and the ingoing materials of the envelope. The health aspect of moisture problems related to ?sick building syndrome? has been included and interviews have been conducted to gather relevant information.A study of the American system, ASHRAE, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers and the standards used in Singapore has been made to highlight the difference.

Moisture damage in kitchens is an area that many people believe to be irrelevant andnot a subject to concern, however the problems encountered might be larger thananticipated.The purpose of this essay is to get a view of how problematic moisture damagecurrently is as well as what can be done to prevent damage during the constructionand building of new housing.Statistics regarding moisture damage as well as several tools for damage preventionhave been studied and investigated. Industrial regulations have been reviewed tounderstand the requirements construction companies must legally follow during theconstruction and building of new kitchens. Home manufacturers and largerentrepreneurs have been contacted in order to get their point of view regarding theproblems with moisture damages in kitchens.The knowledge of moisture safe constructions is prevalent by home manufacturers,insurance companies and entrepreneurs. Despite this knowledge, the constructioncompanies predominately follow the industries regulations, which normally onlyimplement the minimum requirements.In order to get construction companies to design and build kitchens with increasedmoisture security, stricter industrial regulations might be needed to be implemented.Unlike bathrooms and laundry rooms, kitchens are not defined as a ?wet room? andthe regulations for the construction of kitchens are more lenient.It is difficult to detect water leaks in an early state and the moisture damage is usuallyextensive before it is discovered and repaired if the kitchen lacks moisture securedconstruction and water security.

The swedish national board of housing, Building and Planning,recommends that all stakeholders in the construction industryperform a moisture control design to make sure that the buildingachieves good moisture resistance. Since June 1, 2006 there are nospecific requirements or quantitative values for air leakage.Although the swedish national board of housing does presentrequirement that the building envelope must be sealed so that theclient?s requirements for specific energy consumption and installedelectric power for heating purposes are met. Despite this, studiesfrom SP shows that few buildings meet the client?s requirements inspecific energy, which increases the risk of occurrence ofcondensation-related moisture damage.This study aims to evaluate curtain walls connections from airsecurity and moisture safety.

Svenska Aerogel AB has developed the material Quartzene® which is of the typeprecipitated silica and contains calcium - magnesium silicate ((Ca, Mg) SiO3). Thematerial is used for molecular filtration of contaminated air. Qartzene?, which is inpellet form, is porous and has a high internal surface which is a requirement for themolecular filtration. With the use of various impregnations, filtration can affect thedesired outcome.

Housing construction very close to the lake Mälaren has become very popular today. One potential problem with these houses is the influence of the sea climate. Unprotected buildings are affected by strong winds and precipitation. So for that reason, it is very important to make an accurate climate investigation and use it for decision-making during the planning of the new settlement.It is very important with a good moisture protection regarding pelting rain, that is the combination of wind and rain. This is more important for buildings close to a lake, as this location normally means a higher exposure to wind.

Resin-top disease is a rust fungi that occurs both as a host alternating form, Cronartium flaccidum G. Winter., and as a non-host alternating form, Peridermium pini Pers. The host alternating form can use a variety of hosts but the most commonly used species in the boreal forest is Melampyrum sylvaticum. In Scandinavia the Resin-top disease infect Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L. The fungus infects the needles through the stomata and then grows through the branch to the stem where it strangulates the vessels transporting water and nutrition to the treetop, which kills the top.

The most predominant method for forest harvesting in Sweden is the cut-to-length method based on two-machines, a harvester that fells trees and cut them in a predefined length, and a forwarder which transports logs to a landing area for further transport to a processing facility. New machine solutions have to be much gentler to the ground than today?s machines. To be able to develop a forestry machine that preserves the terrain requires a proper understanding of the interaction between tire and soil.The goal of the project is to contribute to the existing knowledge of forest machine tire-soil interaction and to develop a tire-soil model that enables dynamic simulations of forest machines operating in rough terrain. The modeling has especially been focused on the interaction between tires and soft ground.A comparison of theoretical data of different WES-based terrain interaction models and a comparison test data from a full scale field test is presented.

Svenska Aerogel AB has developed the material Quartzene® which is of the typeprecipitated silica and contains calcium - magnesium silicate ((Ca, Mg) SiO3). Thematerial is used for molecular filtration of contaminated air. Qartzene?, which is inpellet form, is porous and has a high internal surface which is a requirement for themolecular filtration. With the use of various impregnations, filtration can affect thedesired outcome.

Calcareous fens constitute a specific habitat which is uncommon in Europe and protected by the EU habitat directive due to its importance to several threatened species. Hagebyhöga in Östergötland is a calcareous fen habitat included in the Natura 2000 Networking Programme. Adjacent to the existing fen, a degraded fen area is situated. The area has been used for agriculture for several years but is now going to be restored to its former state by the county administrative board of Östergötland.When working with restoration of degraded fen areas it is important to aquire knowledge about the chemical soil conditions. Plant growth limited by phosphorus and low fertility are characteristic conditions for calcareous fens, whilst arable land usually is highly fertile and limited by nitrogen.The purpose of this study is to bring forth useful knowledge for restoring the degraded calcareous fen of Hagebyhöga.