Login
The current French EP regulation called “RT 2012” imposes a maximum airtightness level2 of residential buildings envelope: 0.6 m3.h-1.m-2 for single-family houses and 1 m3.h-1.m-2 for multi- family buildings. The respect of these requirements must be justified either with an airtightness test of each building or by the application of a certified quality management approach on the building airtightness. In both cases, airtightness tests must be performed by a third-party tester, qualified by the certification body, Qualibat. Tests have to be performed according to the EN ISO 9978 and the French guide FD P50-784.
The FD P50-784 includes requirements regarding the following items of the ISO 9972:
- Calibration rules: the French guide gives frequencies for calibration for measuring devices:
- Others than airflow: requirements regarding calibration range, procedure, minimal frequency, and Maximal Permissible Error;
- Airflow: different requirements for calibration of the complete apparatus or for calibration by parts.
- Building preparation: method 3 is mandatory for the determination of the Q4Pa-surf in the EP- calculation. Ventilation openings have to be sealed, closed or not modified depending on how they are taken into account in the EP-calculation.
- Sampling rules for residential buildings:
- For houses: 3+50 % of the rest has to be measured and the choice of these houses is imposed in the FD P50-784 ;
- For multi-family buildings: either 3 or 6 measured apartments, depending on the size of the building. The choice of these apartments is imposed in the FD P50-784.
- Measurement by zone;
- Time of measurement;
- Limit of wind velocity.
Note
For more information, please contact the reference author at: adeline.melois@cerema.fr