Material emissions in new buildings

A 3-year research project was established in 1999 to create numerical reference data formaterial emissions during the time of construction and during the first year after the buildinghas been taken into use. A total of nine measurement sites, representing the presentconstruction practice in Finland, were chosen for investigation. Material emissionmeasurements for surfaces, using the field and laboratory cell (FLEC) technique, wereperformed in the newly finished and 6- and 12-month-old buildings according to a specifiedschedule. The emission rates for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde andammonia as well as the humidity of the construction were measured. The results are comparedto the material emission rate target values, defined in the Finnish Classification of IndoorClimate 2000, and are discussed.