radon

The principal soil gases of current concern to building are radon and landfill gas. The flow of these is generally thought to be dominated by viscous flow under a pressure gradient. This paper presents results for such pressure-driven flow of gas for problems relating to a building with a bare soil floor, for example below a suspended timber floor. The solutions address this problem in two dimensions as a mixed boundary problem.

The principal soil gases of current concern to building are radon and landfill gas. The flow of these is generally considered to be dominated by viscous flow driven by pressure differences. This paper presents results for the pressure-driven flow of gas for problems relating to a building with a bare soil floor, for example below a suspended timber floor. This paper builds on a previous paper by mapping the solution to a mixed boundary problem onto another geometry. In a third paper these results will be compared with an analytical result from elsewhere and an experiment.

Air change rates, indoor radon and carbon dioxide levels were monitored in a lecture theatre in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Two preliminary measurements (Cases 1 and 2) and one series of demand control ventilation simulation (Case 3) were made to investigate the indoor air quality of the lecture theatre. Radon and carbon dioxide levels were found to be relatively high in Case 1 and later improved at the expense of operating the system catering for maximum occupancy in Case 2.

The purpose of this work is to see the influence of the heat preservation in the cold season and also to show the building material influence on the indoor radon concentration in dwellings. Three methods were used to measure the radon content in houses and buildings (workplaces). The results of measurements show that in the winter season the indoor radon concentration is about 2 times higher than in the summer season for these regions from Transylvania.

This guide is divided into four sections, which draw together different areas of BRE radon-related research. It supplements existing guidance. Sump systems are usually very effective at reducing indoor radon levels. The first part of the guide describes the benefits of passive sump systems, ie systems that are not fan-assisted. The second part shows how a single fan-assisted system can be used to treat several adjoining houses. Compared to installing several separate systems, a communal system of this type is quicker and cheaper to install and causes less disruption.

There are two main soil gases of current concern to human health. These are radon, which is a carcinogen, and landfill gas, which is explosive and toxic. Both can be found at significant levels in the soil below buildings in certain locations in the country. It is a responsibility of the Building Research Establishment to find cost effective ways to protect new and existing buildings from the entry of these gases into buildings.