Field measurement results of the airtightness of 64 French dwellings.

This work presents a field measurement study, investigating the airtightness of 64 French dwellings less than ten year old. Buildings have been classified according to the type of construction (masonry or timber frame) and of occupancy mode (multi- or single- family). Using a fan-depressurization technique, we assessed the air leakage rate of each dwelling, based on a theoretical flow model that relates the infiltration airflow rate to the differential pressure . Meanwhile quantifying air leakage rates, we also observed the locations of air leakage paths using a smoke detection method and infrared thermography. In order to compare the results obtained among the sample of dwellings, we assessed the ratio of the air leakage rates divided by intrinsic characteristics of each construction, namely the unheated surfaces and the heated volume. We compared the performance of the French dwellings measured in this study, as a function of the different building types. The results of this work show that construction characteristics can play a significant role on buildings' airtightness, as well as on the interpretation itself of the performance.