Management for acceptable indoor air quality in office buildings requires that the buildings are properly designed, operated and maintained, and that property managers have the knowledge necessary to respond to changes in building operation and use. Although most property managers are non-technical people, with clearly defined guidelines they are capable of achieving this objective. This paper presents an IAQ guide for such a purpose. The guide has been tested by four property managers for accuracy in detecting potential problems and ease of use.
Literature on the various types of pressurization systems, stair use during evacuation, and code requirements was reviewed and summarized. Non-fire and fire tests were conducted in the 10-story experimental fire tower of the National Fire Laboratory of the National Research Council of Canada. The flow resistances of an open stair door at various angles were measured. Under fire conditions, the vertical profiles of pressure differences across the stairshaft wall and those of the velocity pressure at the stair door opening were measured.
Going against the conventional wisdom, a builder in Colorado built-and sold more than 700 extra-energy-efficient homes. The homes' owners now spend half as much on space heating as their neighbors do.
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