scholarly journals Investigation of Influencing Factors on Air Leakage of Canadian Dwellings

2019 ◽  
pp. 536-543
Author(s):  
Maysoun Ismaiel ◽  
Yuxiang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Remarkable Effect ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
New Construction ◽  
Air Leakage Rate

Air leakage is one of the main influencing factors in buildings’ thermal performance. The adverse effects of poor air leakage include higher energy costs, consumption in space heating and cooling, poor thermal comfort, corrosion, and the growth of molds due to air leakage induced condensation. The main objective of this study is to investigate the characteristics of air leakages of Canadian homes related to construction methods, age, size and climatic zones. The air leakage test results of 226,000 dwellings in three provinces of Canada were analyzed. Statistical analysis was utilized to compare the mean of air leakage with respect to different factors. Generally, the air leakage decreased by 40% in the period from 1960 until 2018, which has shown a remarkable effect of new construction techniques on air leakage. Investigations also indicated that the average air leakage rate of homes constructed by using the onsite technique is approximately 25% to 60% higher than those prefabricated in modular or panels, varying with respect to the workmanship and construction quality control. This study concluded that the prefabricated construction techniques could decrease the air leakage rate significantly, which will have a remarkable effect on buildings’ thermal performance as well as home’s heating and cooling costs. The findings contribute to estimating the effects of influencing factors on air leakage, also it is useful in performance simulations, HAVC sizing and energy management. And recommend the use of the prefabricated in modular or panel’s construction method to achieve better and acceptable air leakage performance.

scholarly journals Overview of large building testing in Baltic countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 05007
Author(s):  
Andrejs Nitijevskis ◽  
Vladislavs Keviss
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Pressure Difference ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Mandatory Testing ◽  
Air Leakage Rate ◽  
Large Building

The objectives of this paper are to review measurements of airtightness of 2 large building groups – middle size shops, and warehouses/distribution centres. The mean air leakage rate at 50 Pa pressure difference q50 was 1.04 m3/m2h and 1.35 m3/m2h for shops and warehouses respectively. Analysis of measurement results is valuable because it allows to make a conclusion about compliance of national and corporative construction airtightness norms with actual air barrier condition on a comissioning stage. In the concluding part of the study there are suggested ways to improve air barrier such as review of construction norms, implementation of a mandatory testing and quality control of a measurement.

scholarly journals Study on Smoke Leakage Performance of Suspended Ceiling System

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7244
Author(s):  
Tien-Lun Chou ◽  
Chieh-Hsin Tang ◽  
Ying-Ji Chuang ◽  
Ching-Yuan Lin
Keyword(s):  
Test Chamber ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Material Quality ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
Scientific Principles ◽  
Real Size ◽  
To Come ◽  
Air Leakage Rate ◽  
Insulation Performance

The key focus of the research is on the smoke leakage rate from suspended ceiling system, referencing CNS 15038 norm and its experimental principles to build a set of monitoring equipment for measuring air leakage rate and the provision of detailed assembly details for users’ reference. Through the real-size test chamber, the smoke insulation performance of the ceiling is studied. Targeting the different ceiling materials, ceiling panels dimensions, and construction methods, in keeping with the scientific principles of fluid mechanics, a total of 405 tests are carried out to come up with the means of appraising the leakage rate of ceiling panels of different sizes and materials. The study found that with the ceiling panel material quality being different, even if the ceiling size is the same, different leakage rates could occur. When the material quality of the ceiling panels is the same and the ceiling size is different, it is not that the larger the size of the panel, the greater the leakage rate, but the smallest leakage rate is caused by the largest panel and this is a very special phenomenon. This study also presents a leakage rate assessment table for entire ceiling panels, which will provide future calculations of the smoke leakage rate of the non-flame room, which can be extrapolated to assess the time of smoke decline and conducive for evacuation design. The apparatus has been proven to have proper leakage rate detection capability for the ceiling panels. In the future, the design principle of the extended system can be applied to the inspection and testing of smoke insulation capability of other fire prevention products. In turn, it can be estimated when the smoke has fallen to facilitate escape design.

scholarly journals Study Of The Variability Of Air Leakage Rate Between In-Situ Tested and Laboratory Tested

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Negar Pakzadianmoghaddam
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Test ◽  
Pressure Difference ◽  
Statistical Approach ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Standard Pressure ◽  
Air Leakage Rate

The air leakage measured using the laboratory test of fenestration is important to gauge its initial performance and for certification. Field testing based on a statistical approach was carried out in this study on newly installed fenestration product to study the nature of distribution of air leakage measurements. The measured values from these tests were also compared to the laboratory tested value of the same product and to the values as suggested in field testing guidelines as provided in AAMA 502. Results indicate that field measured values at standard pressure difference follow a normal distribution with a mean and a variance. The results also show that while number of test results fall within a certain range of the laboratory value and the AAMA 502 stipulated value, there are number of values that are higher than them.

Comparison of Blower Door and Tracer Gas Testing Methods for Determination of Air Infiltration Rates Through Building Envelopes at Normal Operating Conditions

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tapan Patel ◽  
Constandinos Mitsingas ◽  
James P. Miller ◽  
Ty A. Newell
Keyword(s):  
Building Envelope ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Tracer Gas ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Normal Operating ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Air Infiltration ◽  
Air Leakage Rate

Tracer gas and blower door testing are two widely used methods to determine the rate of air infiltration through a building envelope. Blower door testing is performed at elevated pressure differentials across the building envelope whereas tracer gas testing is conducted at near zero differential pressures, better reflecting the air leakage rate at near normal building operating conditions. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether extrapolation of blower door test data to normal building operating conditions provides a good estimate of annual average air infiltration at those conditions. Two methods were used to extrapolate the data and were then compared to the baseline tracer gas tests. A secondary objective was to determine the ventilation rate of a residential facility using tracer gas tests. Tracer gas testing seems to be more reliable in determining the air leakage rate at normal operating pressures, but is sensitive to the tracer gas and ambient weather conditions. Regardless, for the subject facility, the ACH50/20 rule and Sherman’s ACH50/N correlation, extrapolated from the blower door tests, are within 6%–33% and 4%–38% of the tracer gas results, respectively. However, these errors are dependent on the assumptions used. Nevertheless, it appears that simple blower door testing can provide a reasonable measure of a building’s annual average air infiltration rate regardless of ambient conditions, whereas the more expensive and complex tracer gas tests may better reflect seasonal variations in air infiltration rates.

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