English

An indoor air quality investigation of a 60,000 m2 8 storey government office building was carried out as a part of an in-depth study of the Total Building Performance of the building. The transdisciplinary study included the following areas of building performance: lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, ventilation, energy use, air circulation, air quality, occupant comfort, building envelope thermography, functional use and enclosure integrity. The air quality conclusions generic to large offices are presented.

Three different types of methods for estimating ventilation rates in residences have been presented and the results of each method discussed. Field measurement experiences have helped to identify the potential errors of these methods. To date, the best correlations obtained have been between theconstant emission tracer methods involving perfluorocarbon and tracer gases. It is expected that a better understanding of the parameters that affect all of the techniques, specifically mixing volume, will lead to improved accuracy.

An automated 10-point air sampling network which uses an electron capture detector gas chromatograph to continuously measure changes in sulfur hexafluoride tracer concentration in a residential environment will be described. The injection of the tracer is controlled by a microprocessor which decides to inject sulfur hexafluoride tracer to return its concentration to a preprogrammed set point. Infiltration rates from fan induced pressurization will be compared to the infiltration rates as reported from the replacement of sulfur hexafluoride tracer.

As part of a study to evaluate the effects of home weatherization on indoor air quality, a tracer gas method to determine infiltration rates was developed by modifying existing methods to meet several project constraints. A method was needed

The theoretical and experimental study of heat losses and energy consumption and its influence on the air quality in buildings has been undertaken by the Silesian Technical University since 1980. The heat consumption of buildings isinfluenced by the thermal insulation of buildings components, airtightness of these components and the types of ventilation systems. Simultaneously, the thermal comfort and also air quality is influenced by the modern building material and different types of buildings.

Under the provisions of the Law for Maintenance of Sanitation in Buildings, the "Building Sanitation Control Standards" came into force subsequently. The air quality standard, one of these Standards, is composed of the following 6 items: Suspended particles, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity. Since the enactment of the law, we have surveyed actual conditions of indoor environment for these 13 years, and found the percentage of buildings which failed to come up to the standards.

Since 1974 the french Authorities have insisted on energy being saved in all buildings. There was very strong pressure on manufacturers to obtain better sealed window frames . In practise less than two or three meters cubed per hour at a pressure of ten pascals penetrates. Also television campaigns have insisted on weather stripping all windows and window frames in all old buildings. The result of these campaigns is that all buildings with no or natural ventilation systems actually have indoor condensation problems.

For optimum building design it is of importance to investigate the comfort and the energy conservation obtained with different types of ventilation systems and levels of airtightness of buildings. This could be achieved by aid of computer models based on full-scale and model measurements. In order to obtain experimental data as input data to such a computer model, an experimental, detached one-family house has been built near to Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast.

The heat losses from small houses, due to transmission and ventilation, are estimated. The estimation i s based up on the house owness daily readings of electricity and water meters, and their notes on behaviour influencing the energy use. Consideration is taken to heat supply from insolation and from people. Hot water losses are calculated from use of water and use of household machinery. Besides the estimation of the heat losses, Q, wind and temperature in the area is registrated .

Measurements in a test room of 28.4 m3 located at the top of a 3-storey building have been made to determine ventilation rates of different natural ventilation systems. The systems under consideration were windows which are typical for residential buildings in Germany and various adjustable natural ventilation systems for installation in walls or window frames. The measurements take into account parameters such as inside/outside temperature differences, wind velocity and direction, opening position and location of thedifferent systems.