MOIST 3
Theory of MOIST developed by: Douglas M. Burch Building and fire Research Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899	Visual Basic Program developed by: Joseph Chi, PhD, PE University of District of Columbia Washington, DC 20008

MOIST (Release 3) is a user-friendly, personal computer program that predicts the one-dimensional transfer of heat and moisture. With MOIST, you will be able to easily define a wall, cathedral ceiling, or low-slope roof construction. You will subsequently be able to investigate the effects of various parameters on the moisture accumulation within layers of the construction. For example, you will be able to conduct computer runs for different U.S. and Canadian cities, thereby investigating the effect of climate on moisture accumulation. You will be able to determine if a vapor retarder is needed, and if needed, where it should be placed relative to the other materials. MOIST allows the user to vary the building materials and their relative placement and predicts the resulting moisture accumulation within each as a function of time for the selected climate.  An enhanced capillary pressure curve has been incorporated into the MOIST model.  MOIST permits the evaluation of the effect of the water-vapor resistance offered by paint layers, wallpaper, and vapor retarders. Finally, MOIST can be used to generate guidelines and practices for controlling moisture.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

MOIST 3 is designed to run on any IBM-compatible personal computer having a Microsoft Windows operating system. To run MOIST 3, you need at minimum the following equipment:

1. A 486 DX or Pentium microprocessor;
2. Microsoft Windows 3.1, Microsoft Windows 95, or Microsoft Windows NT;
3. Five hundred kilobytes free memory available to execute a program from a DOS Window; the MOIST Program may run under less memory but problems may occur.
4. A hard disk with seven megabytes of available memory space;
5. A VGA or higher monitor; and
6. Twelve or more files specified in the CONFIG.SYS file.

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The MOIST  software is available below for your convenience.  This software was developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology by employees of the Federal Government in the course of their official duties.  Pursuant to title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code this software is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. MOIST  is an experimental system. NIST assumes no responsibility whatsoever for its use by other parties, and makes no guarantees, expressed or implied, about its quality, reliability, or any other characteristic. We would appreciate acknowledgement if the software is used.

This software can be redistributed and/or modified freely provided that any derivative works bear some notice that they are derived from it, and any modified versions bear some notice that they have been modified.

Please provide us with your name, organization, and address so we can notify your of any changes or updates. You may address the E-Mail to: MOIST@NIST.GOV.   Technical support for this software has been discontinued.  The complete manual (in PDF format) may be viewed using Adobe Acrobat by selecting the title found next to the PDF icon,

The following files are available free of charge:

MOIST Manual  
MOIST 3 Software

WYEC Weather Data - Canada
WYEC Weather Data - US (DISK 1)
WYEC Weather Data - US (DISK2)
WYEC Weather Data - US (DISK 3)
WYEC Weather Data - US (DISK 4)

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Contact: 
William M. Healy, Leader
(301) 975-4922
william.healy@nist.gov

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