Air Tightness
Reducing Air Leakage in Commercial Buildings, with Air Tightness testing from Permagreen.
Test Procedures
Indicative Testing |
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| Large Rig |
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Global Warming and Carbon Emissions
- Worldwide concern over climate changes.
- Kyoto Agreement
- Reduce carbon emissions by using less fuel
- Greater airtightness reduces energy consumptions for heating and cooling buildings
- Marked effect on energy use throughout working life of the building
With increasing worldwide concern these measures are here to stay.
- Requirements will get more stringent
- Irish Government have undertaken to reduce emissions by a much greater degree than achieved so far.
Building Size and the ‘Magic Index’
Typical Requirement is to achieve a maximum air permeability of no greater than 10m³/hr/m² at 50 Pascals.
What does this mean?
Maximum air loss is:
- 10 cubic metres of air Per Hour
- Per square metre of envelope area (Floor,Walls & Roof)
- At a test pressure of 50 pascals (0.005 bar)
Client Requirements
Different Clients may require more stringent airtightness
| Tesco new build - Under 3 | |
| Debenhams - Under 4 | |
| Marks & Spencer - Under 5 | |
| Dunnes - Under 5 |
What can we do to reduce airloss?
- Increase use of airtight materials – glass, steel sheeting etc
- Design out awkward details
- Ensure high degree of workmanship
- Eliminate use of porous materials
Reality
- In reality often too late to change components or details
- Fragmented works packages can result in air sealing responsibility falls into void between two contractors
- ‘Prototype’ nature of construction means some details uncertain until construction well under way
- Insufficient attention paid to air sealing until too late
Typical scenarios that can result in test failure
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Services available from Permagreen
- Scrutiny of drawings at design stage and production of report highlighting areas of concern
- Meeting with design teams
- Briefing of package contractors on their responsibilities
- On-site audit inspections
- Indicative testing
- Pre-test inspections
- Temporary works in support of test team
- Full building air, smoke and thermographic tests
