Possibilities of Detecting and Evaluating Thermal Defects in Agricultural Building Envelopes Using Simultaneous Infrared Thermography and Computer Modelling

Abstract The aim of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using two different methods together to detect more accurately and to evaluate thermal defects in the envelope of agricultural buildings. The structure of heated agricultural buildings is significantly influenced by the characteristics of the indoor environment (aggressive gaseous and liquid substances, high humidity, higher heating temperatures, etc.). In this study, research has been conducted that synergistically combines two methods for the evaluation of thermal defects, where the structure is evaluated using infrared thermography and at the same time described as a numerical model for a more detailed identification of envelope defects and thermal bridges. The study confirmed that in agricultural building structures, thermal defects are most commonly found in the areas of window lintels, ceiling and bracing structures, window and door joints, and foundation and floor joints, while the proposed combination of the two methods for assessing thermal defects in structures demonstrated superior performance in terms of accuracy and detail of results obtained compared to the standard partial use of only one of these methods.