quality

Purpose of the work

When it comes to evaluating the quality of building work, technical and legal perspectives often clash. This is probably particularly true when it comes to evaluating the airtightness of building envelopes. This presentation is an attempt at clearing up frequent misunderstandings and at formulating questions that would help to combine the technical and legal ways of assessing quality in the most practical manner possible.

Method of approach

This paper presents the new framework for the realization of reliable pressurization tests in Belgium and the provisions taken to widen the number of buildings where a valid pressurization test can be realized.

The operation of an outdoor test site requires very substantial efforts with respect to investments, maintenance, calibration and training staff. The existing documents dealing with quality procedures in principle guarantee that a good quality level is achieved at all test sites. This paper describes the existing quality manuals and the software tool PASLINKIT developed in the scope of IQ-TEST Thematic Network to make all this pertinent quality documents more practicable and feasible.

States that to be effective, insulation must be installed correctly. Studies have shown that even small imperfections in how insulation is installed will significantly reduce its performance. There are problems associated with the settlement of loose fill insulation, and batt insulation can also sag and create voids - especially if they are not the full depth of the wall, of if they are narrower than the framing space into which they are put. Insulation installers usually work on a piecework basis, so have an incentive to cut corners.