The penetration of cold outdoor air into industrial buildings is a severe problem in countries having a cold, arctic or subarctic climate. The cold air, penetrating into the building mainly through the open doorways, causes discomfort to the workers, disturbs the functioning of the ventilation system and increases the energy and maintenance costs of the building. What even worse, the industrial process could be disturbed and even stopped, which could lead to high production and financial losses.
In the framework of the Flemish “Kantoor 2000” research project, the BBRI invited a Swedish inspector to apply the Boverket-OVK procedure for checking the ventilation installations in three Belgian buildings. This experience was most illustrative for the actual status of ventilation systems in Belgium. The procedure being very simple to apply was still very effective and able to detect most problems with ventilation installations encountered in these buildings. To control the quality of ventilation systems, three aspects of the building process are important:
This British Standard gives recommendations on the principles which should be observed when designing for the natural ventilation of buildings for human occupation.
Heavy industry in the UK may be on a downward spiral, but light manufacturing is springing up in its place. Can the structures housing these industries have less impact on the environment?