pressurization test

AIVC's Ventilation Information Paper #47 gives guidance to perform a pressurization test in high-rise buildings and suggests new criteria to replace standard requirements when they cannot be met.

Purpose of the work

In Belgium, airtightness of buildings is taken into account in the regional Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) regulations. When measured, it can be used in the calculation in place of a default unfavourable value and therefore improve the calculated performance.

As an alternative to adopting active architectural systems (mechanical systems) and taking advantage of the resources provided by nature, natural ventilation contributes interesting solutions to control the thermal balance and the air quality, and it is applicable in a variety of climate zones. Natural ventilation also solves some of the more common problems of mechanical systems, such as the noise factor and installation and maintenance costs.

We have analysed the steady wind model error based on a simplified building model with one leak on the windward side and one on the leeward side of the building. Our model gives an analytical expression of this error that depends on the leakage distribution and pressure coefficients. Using a test pressure of 50 Pa in this model, standard measurement protocol constraints contain the steady wind model error within about 3% and 11% with wind speeds below 6 m s-1 and 10 m s-1, respectively. At 10 Pa, the error is in the range of 35% and 60% at 6 m s-1 and 10 m s-1, respectively.