Comparison of heat transfer and condensation on the walls of buildings constructed with iron profiles versus other classic models

This study aims to present the evaluation of the thermal performance and the amount of condensation on the walls of a building with iron profiles under steady-state conditions. Elazig, situated in the east part of Turkey, was chosen for fieldwork. In this region, minimum average temperature is around 1°C during winter. Calculations are made in a real wall model and three different wall model scenarios. Estimated advantages and disadvantages of these have been investigated. Heat transfer and condensation amount are taken as variables. In four different building component models, the required amount of energy during the heating period is calculated month by month. Calculations reveal the resistance of the wall without application of insulation material with iron profile is higher than of the other three wall types. The wall built with betopen and iron profile saves 37.5% more energy than the wall with bricks. When the iron-profiled wall model is compared with the insulated brick wall, it is observed that energy savings are similar, but calculations show condensation begins on the iron profile wall. Iron profile buildings become popular increasingly in rural areas. As a result of this study, it is observed that iron profile buildings are advantageous in terms of energy saving compared to other building component models. However, condensation is inevitable in wall components of iron profile buildings and so the damage in the buildings is more than just a disadvantage, it is an irreversible result.