Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST)

Course Description

The Glaser method has served the industry for decades, but it has known blind spots: it ignores moisture storage in materials, rain absorption, solar-driven vapour transport, and seasonal variation. This course introduces architects and building design professionals to the transient hygrothermal simulation approach that addresses these limitations – the method increasingly specified when Glaser alone is not sufficient to demonstrate moisture safety. You’ll learn to interpret dynamic simulation outputs: moisture content profiles over time, relative humidity at critical interfaces, and cumulative moisture balance graphs. The course demonstrates which construction types require dynamic analysis – including timber-frame walls, internally insulated solid walls, flat roofs with organic substrates, and high-humidity environments – and explains how climate data, material properties, surface orientation, and rain exposure combine to produce results that steady-state methods cannot replicate. Presented by Eugene Korch (façade engineer and IAST Programme Director), the course uses real simulation outputs from built projects to show how dynamic modelling reveals moisture risks that Glaser cannot detect – and how simulation results translate into practical design decisions. With annotated simulation results and comparative studies of pass/fail constructions, this course helps you understand when dynamic modelling is required, evaluate reports from hygrothermal consultants, and specify moisture management strategies based on evidence rather than assumption.