New Energy Code Impacts - ABAA Conference
Transcript of New Energy Code Impacts - ABAA Conference
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New Energy Code Impacts
Jack Pearson and J. Lee Durston
Morrison Hershfield
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Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) is a Registered Provider with
The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems.
Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported to CES
Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA
members are available on request.
This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional
education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or
construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material
of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing,
or dealing in any material or product.
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Lee DurstonPrincipal, Senior Building Science Consultant
Building Specialty Services – Great Lakes Region
Jack Pearson
Building Science ConsultantBuilding Specialty Services – Great Lakes [email protected]
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ThankYou!
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Learning Objectives
• Review the theory and historical progression of air tightness requirements and understand the metrics that provide the baseline for levels of air tightness.
• Understand the basic phases of holistic enclosure consulting related to air barriers and performance verification of air barriers.
• Familiarize participants with specific building envelope requirements related to air leakage testing in the most recent and upcoming energy codes and how those codes and standards are being enforced.
• Understand validity, impact, and relevance of the wide range of air tightness codes and standards.
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Why Air Barriers and Why Now?
Energy Conservation Measure
• First Costs/Construction
• Operational Costs
Building Envelope Durability
• H- Heat Barrier
• A- Air Barrier
• ML- Moisture Liquid
• MV- Moisture Vapor
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Where is Energy Used?
Source= USDOE
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How Buildings Use Energy
• Building Envelope (walls, roof, windows, and floors)
• Lighting
• Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
• Internal and Process Loads (cooking, hot water, manufacturing, etc.)
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Photo credit BCRA Inc.
Energy
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HAMM- Building Enclosure Design
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Durability
Photo credit BCRA Inc.
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Moisture Transport - Vapor Diffusion
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Moisture Transport – Air Leakage
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4x8 sheet of gypsum board
Interior at 70F and 40% RH
4x8 sheet of gypsum board with a 1 sq inch hole
Interior at 70F and 40% RH
Diffusion
Air
Leakage
1/3 quart
of water
30 quarts
of water
Airborne Moisture
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15
Vapor Diffusion or Vapor Laden Air?
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16
Air Leakage Loads
Air leakage is driven by air pressure difference across the building envelope.
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Air Pressure Difference
Stack Effect Wind Mechanical
Pressurization
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Pressure Control Issues
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Unintended Air Leakage
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Air Leakage Issues
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Window Interface
Air Leakage Issues
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It haunts me……
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Is it all just Hot Air?
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Stop the GREENWASH!
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Stop the GREENWASH!
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Stop the GREENWASH!
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Stop the GREENWASH!
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Stop the GREENWASH!
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Hand in Hand with HVAC
But no one measures the room…
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From Then to Now
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Energy Code Requirements
• Federal: Passing 0.25 cfm/ft2 since 2009 (UFC)• Military Departments
• Defense Agencies
• DoD Field Activities
• Federal Level Construction*
• SOFA, HNFA, BIA, etc.
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Energy Code Requirements
• Seattle/WA: The completed building shall be tested and the air leakage rate of the building envelope shall not exceed 0.40 cfm/ft2 at a pressure differential of 75 Pa in accordance with ASTM E 779 or an equivalent method approved by the code official.(2012 WSEC C402.4.1.2.3 Building test).
• City of Fort Collins - UFC
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• IECC 2012 - 0.4 cfm/ft2 -coming at varying levels• Materials
• Assemblies
• WBALT• The 2012 IECC exempts buildings in Climate Zones 1through 3 and 90.1-2010
exempts semi-heated spaces in Climate Zones 1 through 6 in addition to single wythe concrete buildings in Climate Zone 2B
• Energy Models• Passive House
• LEED
• Etc.
Energy Code Requirements
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cfm/ ft2[L/s*m2]at 75Pa
US ASHRAE / IECC 0.40 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa 0.40/2.02
US LEED 1.25 in2 EfLA @ 4 Pa / 100 ft2 0.30/1.52
USASHRAE Average handbook of fundamentals 0.30 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa 0.30/1.52
U.S. UFC 0.25 cfm/ ft2 at 75Pa 0.25/1.27
UK TS-1Commercial Tight 2 m3/h/m2 at 50 Pa 0.14/0.71
CAN R-2000 1 in2 EqLA @10 Pa /100 ft2 0.13/0.66
USASHRAE 90.1 Tighthandbook of fundamentals 0.10 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa 0.10/0.51
For a 4 story building, 120 x 110 ft, n=0.65
Looser
Tighter
A Look At Requirements Globally
Passive House 0.06 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa
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How Leaky Are Buildings…?
Standard Commercial
Construction
Air Leakage Rate:
0.40 to 1.60 cfm/sf @
0.3” wg
100,000sf of envelope =
40,000cfm to 160,000cfm
Example #1
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How Leaky Are Buildings…?
Example #2Area of Exterior Envelope
220,000 sf
100,000 sf
Floor Area
220,000 sf x 0.25 cfm/sf = 55,000 cfm (US DoD)
220,000 sf x 0.4 cfm/sf = 88,000 cfm (ASHRAE)
220,000 sf x 1.0 cfm/sf = 220,000 cfm (Industry Current)
220,000 sf x 0.06 cfm/sf = 13,200 cfm (Passive House)
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We Were Warned…..
0.25 cfm/sf is not achievable
There are too many building types for one standard
An air tightness standard will limit construction type
An air tightness standard will limit material type
This is space-age technology that requires new materials
Needed is an education and training process that will take years to usher in
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Test Study
285 DoD buildings
Time range of 29 months
34+ DoD installations
All climate zones in the United States with some additional off shore
One to nine stories
Building envelope areas ranging from 1,000 ft2 to 370,000 ft2
All building types/uses
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Lessons Learned
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Poly Vapor Barrier = Air Barrier
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Video credit BCRA Inc.
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Video credit BCRA Inc.
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Size Matters- Detroit Arsenal Building 270
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Detroit Arsenal Bldg. 270
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Detroit Arsenal Bldg. 270
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Detroit Arsenal Bldg. 270
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Confidence Test
~1300-sf of envelope
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WBALT
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Test Set-up
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Target Air Leakage
USACE cfm/sf@75Pa
RFP Requirement .25cfm/sf @75PA
Detroit Arsenal Bldg. 270
Allowable leakage rate
Envelope SF: 144,622
36155.5 cfm
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Data
y = 238.86x + 6830.5R² = 0.9915
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
15 25 35 45 55 65 75
Air
Flo
w (
cfm
)
Pressure Differential (Pa)
Depressurization Test Results
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Data
y = 227.49x + 6415.3R² = 0.9964
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85
Air
Flo
w (
cfm
)
Pressure Differential (Pa)
Building Pressurization Test Results
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Results
Depressurize Pressurize
0.168 0.161
24,330 cfm/75 23,235 cfm/75
Average = 0.16
- Data correlation > 99%
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Infrared Survey
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Infrared Survey
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Infrared Survey
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Accommodating the Decision Makers
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Overhead Roll-up Doors
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Performance Testing
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Quantified
4,900cfm
@75Pa
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Case Study 5-5 ADA COF
Size Does Matter
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Extents of Air Barrier
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Extents of Air Barrier
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Construction
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Construction
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Target Air Leakage
USACE cfm/sf@75Pa
RFP Requirement .25cfm/sf @75PA
5-5 COF Admin Office Area Envelope SF 51,352
Allowable leakage rate 12,838 cfm
5-5 ADA COF Mezzanine Office
Allowable leakage rate
Envelope SF 4,887
1,222 cfm
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Results
Admin Area Mezzanine Offices
0.063 0.209
3,260 cfm/75 1,020 cfm/75
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Proportion of Operational Leaks
10,000 sf of envelope areaAllowable leakage = 2,500cfm @75Pa
150cfm @ 75Pa
1,000 sf of envelope areaAllowable leakage = 250cfm @75Pa
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Leakage Rate vs. Building Size
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000
Air
Le
akag
e (
cfm
/ft2
)
BE Area (ft2)
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lt
Range (standard deviation) w/ no expert consultation
TEMFs are challenging
0.25 CFM/SF & 0.15 CFM/SF
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Averages, expert consultation vs. no consultation
Range (standard deviation) w/ no consultation
Concrete is an excellent air barrier
0.25 CFM/SF & 0.15 CFM/SF
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Average & range, w/ no consultation
0.25 CFM/SF & 0.15 CFM/SF
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Blanket Insulation Doesn’t Work
Average & range, w/ no consultation
0.25 CFM/SF & 0.15 CFM/SF
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Success of the Air Tightness Requirement
Achievable
Applicable
Does not limit construction type
Does not limit construction materials
Building envelope discipline
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Seattle – Leading the Nation
• Seattle/WA: The completed building shall be tested and the air leakage rate of the building envelope shall not exceed 0.40 cfm/ft2 at a pressure differential of 75 Pa in accordance with ASTM E 779 or an equivalent method approved by the code official.(2012 WSEC C402.4.1.2.3 Building test).
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Seattle – Show the Pressure Boundary
• Seattle: Construction documents shall contain a diagram showing the building’s pressure boundary in plan(s) and section(s) and a calculation of the area of the pressure boundary to be considered in the test.
• Although not required in rest of Washington, this is good practice and it will be required by the Contractor and Testing Agency to prepare and conduct whole-building air leakage test.
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Building's Pressure Boundary
81
• In plan show the plane of the continuous air barrier
• For clarity consider showing thumbnail plans on one sheet
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82
Building's Pressure Boundary
• In section show the plane of the continuous air barrier
• For clarity show thumbnail sections on one sheet
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83
Pay special attention:
• Vestibules
• Wing walls
• Soffits & eaves
• Roof-to-wall
• Parapets
• Elevators & stairs
• Loading docks
• Parking garage
• Utility rooms
Air Barrier Area Calculations
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• Location of the Air Barrier
• Material selections
Envelope System Decisions
84
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• Air barrier @ GWB ceiling
Envelope System Decisions
85
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• Openings: doors, windows, elevators, vestibules
• Penetrations: Drier vent locations, Microwave unit leakage
Envelope System Decisions
86
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Envelope System Decisions
87
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Seattle – What went/is going well?
• Air Barrier is being thought about
• Air Barrier is in the design documents
• Air Barrier is being approached as a system, not just a material or an assembly
• Large (50+ story) buildings are being completed
• All buildings are being completed
• A suitable workforce is being developed
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Seattle – The trouble points
• The acceptable air leakage rate is 0.4cfm @ .3” w.c.
• At least for the first few years, the requirement has lacked teeth. Billed as a fact finding period
• The code official is not the same entity as the owner/developer/contractor
• Deals, testing for show, ultimatums, junk testing
• Tall building challenges
• Public vs. Private sector
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What is the Right Number?
• Energy
• Durability
cfm/ ft2[L/s*m2]at 75Pa
US ASHRAE / IECC 0.40 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa 0.40/2.02
US LEED 1.25 in2 EfLA @ 4 Pa / 100 ft2 0.30/1.52
USASHRAE Average handbook of fundamentals 0.30 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa 0.30/1.52
U.S. UFC 0.25 cfm/ ft2 at 75Pa 0.25/1.27
UK TS-1Commercial Tight 2 m3/h/m2 at 50 Pa 0.14/0.71
CAN R-2000 1 in2 EqLA @10 Pa /100 ft2 0.13/0.66
USASHRAE 90.1 Tighthandbook of fundamentals 0.10 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa 0.10/0.51
For a 4 story building, 120 x 110 ft, n=0.65
Looser
Tighter
Passive House 0.06 cfm/ft2 at 75Pa
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Database Population Characteristics
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Database Population Characteristics
• Lots of USACE buildings
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0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
0
5
10
15
20
25
Commercial MURB Institutional Military
Air
tigh
tne
ss [
cfm
/ft²
@ 7
5 P
a]
Air
tigh
tne
ss [
L/(s
·m²)
@ 7
5 P
a]
Building Type
Summary of Airtightness of Buildings by Building Type
Maximum
Minimum
Median
Third Quartile
First Quartile
Airtightness versus Building Type
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Building Age vs Airtightness
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
0123456789
1011121314151617181920
1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015
Air
tigh
tne
ss [
cfm
/ft²
@ 7
5 P
a]
Air
tigh
tne
ss [
L/(s
.m²)
@ 7
5 P
a]
Construction of Building [year]
Airtightness Vs Year of Construction of All Buildings
Sample of 179 Buildings
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Airtightness of Buildings by Building Location
UK USA Canada
Looks like the USA is winning…
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Airtightness of Buildings by Building Location
UK USA Canada0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Research USACE Washington
Air
tigh
tne
ss [
cfm
/ft²
]
Air
tigh
tne
ss (
L/s*
m2
@ 7
5 P
a)
Summary of Airtightness of Buildings, Research vs Required
Maximum off Scale at 25
PerformanceRequirement
PerformanceRequirement
Mandated performance and
testing makes a big
difference!
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IECC – 2012, 2015
• IECC - 0.4 cfm/ft2
• Materials
• Assemblies
• WBALT• The IECC exempts buildings in Climate Zones
1through 3 and 90.1-2010 exempts semi-heated spaces in Climate Zones 1 through 6 in addition to single wythe concrete buildings in Climate Zone 2B
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Definitions: Specified Air Leakage Rates
ASHRAE 90.1 US Army CorpsAppend. Z Engineers
(cfm/ft2 @ .3” w.c.)
Material 0.004
Assembly 0.04
Building 0.4 0.25
Canada
NBC(L/(s*m2 @75Pa)
0.002
0.02
0.2
Past Construction Practices: 0.6 to 1.6 cfm/ft²
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Materials or Assemblies or WBALT
Shouldn’t it be and, and
ASTM 2178 ASTM 2357 ASTM e779….
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The Building is a Patchwork
Photo credit BCRA Inc.
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What Does the Energy Model Say?
• What is your air leakage value assumed/input into the energy model?
• Is it a material value?
• Is it an assembly value?
• Is it a Whole Building value?
• Measured or Assumed?
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Using the Building’s HVAC System
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Depressurization, Pressurization, or Both?
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Appropriateness of ALL Buildings
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What Happens When It Fails?
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Representative Sample Testing
• Projects with multiple floors of redundancy
• Projects with phased occupancy
• MURB
• Cost
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Isolating the Sample in High Rise
75Pa75Pa
75Pa
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Unique Floor Plates / Wall Profiles
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Unique Floor Plates / Wall Profiles
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110
Unique Floor Plates / Wall Profiles
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Isolating the Sample in MURBs
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Isolating the Sample in MURBs
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• Compartmentalization• Trend in urban, mixed-
use buildings is to include numerous, distinct spaces
• Necessitates multiple test zones
• Separate or concurrent tests
• Coordination with the Contractor
• Additional Time (money)
Building Configuration and Size
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• Separate tests vs. Combined tests
• Pressure equalization
• Vertical separation
• Shafts/ Penetrations
• Construction Sequencing
Compartmentalization
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Compartmentalize or Whole Building?
• Tall tower broken up for phased move-in• Extensive preparation and testing effort
• Diaphragms in Stairwells
• Pressure-equalize above and below test zones
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• Tall tower tested as one zone• Preparation is simpler
• Distributed Equipment
Compartmentalize or Whole Building?
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Conclusions
• Understanding of Air Barrier Systems and Air Leakage Testing has come a long way in a short period of time.
• An Air Barrier System that performs is achievable with current construction and materials.
• Typically, the building can be made to be as tight as it is required to be.
• Overall, an air tightness requirement is easier to implement when the entity writing the requirement is also owning the delivery.
• To date the US DoD / Passive House models have performed the best.
• Its not all about energy….shouldn’t we also consider durability?
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Conclusions
• Air is just the “A” in HAMM• H- Heat Barrier
• A- Air Barrier
• ML- Moisture Liquid
• MV- Moisture Vapor
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Heat Cx
• The truth about insulation
• The truth about continuous
insulation
• Defining, measuring, 2D and 3D
heatflow pathways
• Ushering in code/regulation
control of thermal bridging
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All Together Now
Photo credit BCRA Inc.
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Special Thanks to:
Retrotec Inc., U.S. Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering
Research Laboratories, Professional Investigative Engineers (PIE),
BCRA Inc., U.S. Coast Guard, and Judson University for contributions
to this presentation.
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ThankYou!