Materials in the indoor environment are generally regarded as the sources of contaminants which affect air quality indoors. Broadly speaking the same mechanisms which determine the emission of contaminants from materials also determine the way contaminants in air are taken up by materials, i.e. the sink effect. The most dramatic effects of the sink effect occur when room air concentrations are rapidly changed, for example when chemicals are emitted from various activities such as painting, cooking smoking, the use of detergents or other household chemicals.
Describes a study which examined the effect of temperatures of 23, 29, and 50 Deg C on formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission from laminate flooring Type A (with particleboard as substrate) and Type B (with high density fibre (HDF). For the first two temperatures, the measurements did not show any emissions of formaldehyde and very low emissions of VOCs. At the highest temperature however, Type A showed a high initial emission of formaldehyde and VOCs, decreasing with time. There were much lower emissions from Type B.
Describes the experimental evaluation of a brick veneer steel stud (BVSS) test specimen. The system was evaluated for air leakage characteristics, pressure equalization response, deflection and water penetration. Concludes that for best results for BVSS walls, the air barrier must be sufficiently airtight to achieve static pressure equalization and there must be sufficient venting to achieve dynamic pressure equalization. Similar results were obtained from research conducted on other wall systems.
This article talks about the solutions that the vernacular architecture of desert areas in Iran has used to survive against undesirable climatic conditions. It is a partial result of a research that has been done by the author in 1994 in Shahid Beheshti University in Iran. It discusses and assesses climatic problems and living discomfort of the Zavareh, a small historical city in Esfahan province.
Reviews the use of spray-polyurethane-foam insulation in buildings and discusses how their characteristics influence their field performance. Recommends that when used as an air barrier, polyurethane foam may crack on joints subjected to shrinkage or by structural deflection. To maintain the integrity of the air barrier, one should attach a strip of peel-and-stick membrane to both sides of the joint.
The Field and Laboratory Emision Cell (FLEC) was presented for the first time at the Healthy Buildings Conference in 1991. The FLEC is now used worldwide for many different applications that are related to emission testing of building products. Several labelling schemes are now on the market using both the FLEC and more classic climate chambers to fulfil the increasing demand for more indoor environmentally friendly building products.
This study investigated the sources and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde in the air of a new office and conference centre building. The building is naturally ventilated, and was designed to demonstrate a number of innovative approaches to environmental design. Occupant surveys have shown a high level of occupant satisfaction with the indoor environment.
The energy and mass flows required to sustain dwelling services can be established and quantified only within the framework of a stock and flow model of the total housing stock. This paper develops such a model to estimate the energy flows of a typical sub-population of New Zealand housing stock. The energy and mass flows of key building materials are estimated and the energy flows of alternative cladding systems are compared. The stock and flow model is driven by empirical schedules of mortality.
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