In these instructions for measuring the airtightness and air change rates in buildings, the principles of measurement methodics, the need for measurements and choosing the correct method for different purposes, are presented. Details of measuring are described for the most common methods: the pressure test, the collector chamber method for measuring local leakages, and the tracer gas methods. In addition, other methods and auxiliary measurements are presented.
Occupants can significantly influence both the heating energy requirements and the indoor air quality of a building by opening and closing doors and windows. If the effects of these actions are to be accurately estimated, both the quantity and character of these exchange flows must be determined. In this paper, data on gravity-driven exchange rates through open doors obtained from field experiments at the Alberta Home Heating Research Facility are compared with laboratory model simulations and theoretical predictions.
In this programme of work, methodologies for determining infiltration rates of large and complex buildings have been established. Theoretical considerations suggested that comprehensive information regarding interzonal air movements might be obtained from experimental techniques using multiple tracer gases. Field measurements to determine interzonal flows were carried out in office buildings using automated measurement systems developed for this purpose. Simpler techniques were found to be needed and were developed.
This paper describes tracer gas measuring techniques that have been used to characterize ventilation and air infiltration in buildings, with an emphasis on recent developments and applications in large industrial and commercial structures. Fundamentals and applications are presented for both single andmultiple tracer gas methods. In addition to techniques suitable for detailed characterization of building airflows, procedures and equipment appropriate to surveying large numbers of buildings are also discussed.
Ventilation rates were measured in nine office buildings using an automated tracer gas measuring system. The buildings range in size from a two-storey federal building with a floor area of about 20,000 ft2 (1900 m2) to a 26-storey office building with a floor area of 700,000 ft2 (65,000 m2). The ventilation rates were measured for about 100 hours in each building over a range of weather conditions. The results are presented and examined for variation with time and weather. In most cases, the ventilation rate of a building is similar for hot and cold weather.
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