The BEG Hut is a unique natural exposure test facility located at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. The BEG Hut has been used since 1990 to field test a variety of full-scale clay brick veneer, vinyl, insulating concrete form (ICF), and exterior insulating finishing system (EIFS) wall systems. The primary objective of these projects has been to study the hygrothermal performance of enclosure wall systems common to the colder climates of North America. In particular, ways of minimizing rain penetration, methods of ensuring drainage, the mechanics of ventilation drying, and the drying of built-in moisture have been studied.
The test building allows for the monitoring of more than 600 channels of temperature, humidity, and moisture content data from 27 full-scale test panels exposed to weather representative of large parts of the populated regions of Eastern Canada and the North Eastern United States. A number of unique means of measuring moisture flow have been developed (including driving rain, internal drainage, ventilation flow, moisture content, etc).
BEG's experience and capability of using test houses for hygrothermal investigations is second to none in North America. More information can be found in the download document Beghut Description.