air leakage: difficulties in e measurement ...... gn e e air leakage: difficulties in measurement,...
TRANSCRIPT
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www.sgh.com
DESIG
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VESTI
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AB
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AIR LEAKAGE: DIFFICULTIES IN
MEASUREMENT, QUANTIFICATION AND
ENERGY SIMULATION
BEST2 Conference, Portland, OR
Session WB6-1
13 April 2010
Michael Waite, P.E., LEED AP
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
Co-Author: Sean O’Brien, P.E., LEED AP
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Outline
• Air Barrier Definitions
• Performance Criteria
• Testing
• Energy Analysis
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Outline
• Air Barrier Definitions
• Performance Criteria
• Testing
• Energy Analysis
3
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Air Barriers
• Material: A single component of the building
enclosure with a specific air resistance
– Examples: Self-adhering membranes, spray-applied foam
insulation, gypsum wallboard, sheet metal
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Air Barrier Materials
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Air Barriers
• Material: A single component of the building
enclosure with a specific air resistance
– Examples: Self-adhering membranes, spray-applied foam
insulation, gypsum wallboard, sheet metal
• Assembly: A collection of air barrier materials or
transitions between air barrier materials
– Examples: Roof-to-wall transitions, wall assemblies (sometimes
including fenestration, penetrations, etc.)
• System or (“Continuous Air Barrier”): Integrated air
barrier materials, assemblies and seals continuous
across the entire building enclosure
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Outline
• Air Barrier Definitions
• Performance Criteria
• Testing
• Energy Analysis
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Performance Criteria
• Historically few quantitative requirements for air
leakage/barriers in the U.S.
• U.S. building codes have contained qualitative
language, with some exceptions
– “seal joints”, “weather-stripping”, etc.
– ASHRAE 90.1
– IECC
• Where progress has been made, mostly limited to
“air barrier materials”
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Performance Criteria – Materials
• 0.004 cfm/sf at 75 Pa pressure differential
• National Building Code of Canada
• Massachusetts State Building Code
• Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA)
• Proposed addendum to ASHRAE 90.1
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Performance Criteria – Assemblies
• Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA)
– 0.04 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Also in proposed addendum to ASHRAE 90.1
• National Building Code of Canada
– Recommended performance for buildings with typical interior
relative humidity levels
– 0.02 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
• Fenestration
– Ranges from 0.06 cfm/sf (curtain-wall/storefront) to 0.3 cfm/sf
(operable and other types) at 75 Pa – AAMA
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Performance Criteria – Whole Envelope
• Most representative of actual continuous air barrier
performance
• Until recently, common references did not reflect
actual performance
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Performance Criteria – Whole Envelope
• ASHRAE Handbook–Fundamentals
– Several contradictory values included
– “Tight”: 0.1 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– “Average”: 0.3 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– “Leaky”: 0.6 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Based on an “arbitrary” classification in 1976 study of 8 glazed
aluminum curtain wall buildings (Tamura and Shaw 1976)
• More recent studies have shown higher leakage rates
– 1.55 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Average of 200 buildings (Emmerich and Persily 2005)
– Also now included in ASHRAE Fundamentals (2009)
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Performance Criteria – Whole Envelope
• ASHRAE Handbook–Fundamentals
– Several contradictory values included
– “Tight”: 0.1 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– “Average”: 0.3 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– “Leaky”: 0.6 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Based on an “arbitrary” classification in 1976 study of 8 glazed
aluminum curtain wall buildings (Tamura and Shaw 1976)
• More recent studies have shown higher leakage rates
– 1.55 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Average of 200 buildings (Emmerich and Persily 2005)
– Also now included in ASHRAE Fundamentals (2009)
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Performance Criteria – Continuous Air Barrier
• Air Barrier Association of America
– 0.4 cfm/sf under a pressure differential of 0.3 in. water (75 Pa)
• Some individual stricter criteria
– U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: 0.25 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Individual project specifications
• 2006 United Kingdom Building Regulations
– Requires whole building test for buildings over 500 m2
– 0.547 cfm/sf at 50 Pa (equivalent to ~0.7 cfm/sf at 75 Pa)
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Outline
• Air Barrier Definitions
• Performance Criteria
• Testing
– Quantitative
– Qualitative
• Energy Analysis
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Quantitative Testing - Materials
• ASTM E2178 - Standard Test Method for Air
Permeance of Building Materials
• Laboratory test for material properties only
– Air leakage measured at various static pressures
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Quantitative Testing - Materials
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Quantitative Testing – Components
• ASTM E283 - Standard Test Method for Determining
Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows,
Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure
Differences Across the Specimen
• Laboratory test for component performance
– Air leakage measured at a single specified test pressure
– ASTM E783: Field equivalent
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Field Testing – ASTM E783
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Field Testing – ASTM E783
Differential
pressure
Temp / RH
Laminar flow
element (airflow
measurement)
Fan/blower
not shown
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Field Testing – ASTM E783
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Quantitative Testing – Assemblies
• ASTM E2357 - Standard Test Method for Determining
Air Leakage of Air Barrier Assemblies
• Laboratory test for air barrier assembly performance
(can be applied to field conditions as well)
– Initial air leakage measured at various static pressures
– Specimen is “conditioned” by exposure to dynamic pressure
loads, then re-tested
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Quantitative Testing – Assemblies
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Field Testing of Air Barrier Assemblies
• Field testing of free-standing mockups is similar to
laboratory test procedure
• Field testing of in-place assemblies can be extremely
difficult
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Quantification Difficulties
• Testing a 5 ft x 5 ft area to 0.04 cfm/sf requires
measurement of just 1 cfm
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Assembly Test – Interior Chamber
Interior chamber
Air barrier
Leakage through
surrounding walls
may bypass air
barrier
“Seal” on exterior
for measurement of
chamber leakage
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Quantification Difficulties
• Testing a 5 ft x 5 ft area to 0.04 cfm/sf requires
measurement of just 1 cfm
• Uncontrolled air leakage through CMU walls could
easily exceed 1 cfm, creating a “false negative” test
result
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Assembly Test – Exterior Chamber
Exterior chamber
Air barrier
“Seal” on exterior
for measurement of
chamber leakage
Extraneous leakage path is
now on interior side of air
barrier
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Chamber Construction
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Difficult Details
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Quantitative Testing – Air Barrier Systems
ASTM E779: Standard Test Method for
Determining Air Leakage Rate by Fan
Pressurization
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Quantitative Testing - Systems
• “Blower Door” testing
– Quantifies air leakage on a whole-building scale
– Results normalized to building surface area
• Typically use air barrier surface area
• No established definition for “building surface area”
• Most recent studies use “above grade surface area of the building
envelope”
– ASTM E779 designed for simple detached buildings
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Performing an E779 Test
• Create a single “zone” in the building by opening
doors, partitions, etc.
• Close off ductwork, air intakes, vents, etc. that do
not typically contribute to air leakage into the
conditioned space
• Take airflow and corresponding pressure
measurements during pressurization and
depressurization of the building
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Air Leakage Testing of Large Buildings
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Air Leakage Testing in Multi-Unit Buildings
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Outline
• Air Barrier Definitions
• Performance Criteria
• Testing
– Quantitative
– Qualitative
• Energy Analysis
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Qualitative Testing
• Location of air leakage sites in a building enclosure
– Certification of qualitative performance (“no visible air
leakage…”)
– Identify leakage paths to remediate during construction
– Failure analysis / forensics
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Qualitative Testing
• ASTM E1186 - Standard Practices for Air Leakage
Site Detection in Building Envelopes and Air Barrier
Systems
• Basic methodology
– Impose differential pressure on component/building
– Use visualization aids to locate air leakage
• Tracer smoke
• Infrared
• Detection liquid (i.e., soapy water)
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Blower Door Pressurization
• Option 1: Use a blower door (or HVAC system) to
pressurize/depressurize an entire room
– Useful for testing multiple
windows, doors, etc. in a
single space
– May not be practical for large
spaces with high leakage
rates (limited test pressures)
– Requires enclosed spaces; may
not be practical during
construction
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Test Chambers
• Option 2: Use localized chambers for testing of
specific areas / components
– Can be performed during
construction or in partially
enclosed spaces
– Can typically test at high pressure
(75 pa / 0.3 in. H20 +)
– May be less efficient than
blower door for testing
multiple areas/components
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Handheld Test Device
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• Calibrated device generates
pre-set pressure differential
– Highly localized, useful for
fasteners and masonry ties but
not large components
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Lab Testing of Fasteners with Handheld Device
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Detection Methods - Liquid
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Detection Methods - Liquid
• Liquid must be applied directly to the point of
leakage
• Can be messy
• Difficult on vertical surfaces
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Detection Methods – Tracer Smoke
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Detection Methods – Tracer Smoke
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Detection Methods – Tracer Smoke
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Detection Methods – Tracer Smoke
• Paths can be difficult to distinguish under low or
variable pressure conditions
• Smoke can be difficult to see / document
• More effective with negative pressure
• Difficult to perform in windy conditions
• Smoke may be acrid
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Detection Methods - Infrared
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Detection Methods - Infrared
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Detection Methods - Infrared
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Detection Methods - Infrared
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Detection Methods - Infrared
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Detection Methods - Infrared
• Can be extremely efficient
– Locate multiple air leaks in short time
– Minimize the need for sample openings / investigation
• Requires temperature differential
– Ideally 30º to 40ºF
• Results may be subject to interpretation
– Secondary verification (smoke, etc.) should be used
• May not locate small or concealed leaks
– Fully surveying a building can take a long time
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Outline
• Air Barrier Definitions
• Performance Criteria
• Testing
• Energy Analysis
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Energy Analysis
• EnergyPlus building energy simulations of DOE’s
“Medium Office” Benchmark Building
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Energy Analysis – Envelope Parameters
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Location SHGCRoof
InsulationWall
Insulation
Miami 0.25 R-15 R-13
Las Vegas 0.25 R-15 R-13
Chicago 0.39 R-15 R-13 + R-3.8 c.i.
Baseline Parameters
Location SHGCRoof
Insulation1Wall
Insulation2
Miami 0.20 R-20 R-13 + R-3.8 c.i.
Las Vegas 0.20 R-20 R-13 + R-3.8 c.i.
Chicago 0.34 R-20 R-13 + R-7.6 c.i.
Adjusted Parameters
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Energy Analysis – Air Leakage Parameters
• 1.55 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Average from recent study
• 0.70 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Representative of UK code requirement
• 0.15 cfm/sf at 75 Pa
– Well-detailed and constructed tight building
• Air leakage varied with exterior wind speed
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Results – Miami
Air Leakage
(cfm/sf)SHGC
Roof
InsulationWall Insulation
Total (Source)
MMBtu % Reduction
1.55 0.25 R-15 R-13 6778 N/A
1.55 0.20 R-15 R-13 6698 1.2%
1.55 0.25 R-20 R-13 6764 0.2%
1.55 0.25 R-15 R-13 + R-3.8c.i. 6736 0.6%
0.70 0.25 R-15 R-13 6714 0.9%
0.15 0.25 R-15 R-13 6669 1.6%
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• Energy use effect of significant air leakage reduction
is comparable to reduced solar heat gain coefficient
• Additional insulation has lesser effect on energy use
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Results – Las Vegas
Air Leakage
(cfm/sf)SHGC
Roof
InsulationWall Insulation
Total (Source)
MMBtu % Reduction
1.55 0.25 R-15 R-13 7104 N/A
1.55 0.20 R-15 R-13 7074 0.4%
1.55 0.25 R-20 R-13 7084 0.3%
1.55 0.25 R-15 R-13 + R-3.8c.i. 7034 1.0%
0.70 0.25 R-15 R-13 6896 2.9%
0.15 0.25 R-15 R-13 6746 5.0%
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• Large potential savings in “balanced” climate
• Heating savings significant in all but the warmest
U.S. climates
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Results – Chicago
Air Leakage
(cfm/sf)SHGC
Roof
InsulationWall Insulation
Total (Source)
MMBtu % Reduction
1.55 0.39 R-15 R-13 + R-3.8c.i. 7454 N/A
1.55 0.34 R-15 R-13 + R-3.8c.i. 7424 0.4%
1.55 0.39 R-20 R-13 + R-3.8c.i. 7428 0.4%
1.55 0.39 R-15 R-13 + R-7.6c.i. 7396 0.8%
0.70 0.39 R-15 R-13 + R-3.8c.i. 7060 5.3%
0.15 0.39 R-15 R-13 + R-3.8c.i. 6751 9.4%
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• Energy savings very significant in cold climate
• Expect savings to increase further moving north
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Results – Peak Heating
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CityAir Leakage
(cfm/sf)
Peak Heating (Site)
MBtu/h % Reduction
Miami 1.55 293.5 --
Miami 0.15 218.5 25.6%
Las Vegas 1.55 505.4 --
Las Vegas 0.15 407.9 19.3%
Chicago 1.55 814.6 --
Chicago 0.15 502.0 38.4%
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Recap/Conclusion
• Establish quantitative criteria.
• Select correct test protocols to evaluate compliance
for specific scenario/construction
• Use qualitative testing to identify deficient areas and
remediate those areas, if possible
• Inaccurate air leakage values can have significant
impact on predicted energy use
– Less significant in cooling climates than in heating climates
– Energy simulations likely underpredict energy use due to
widespread use of low assumed air leakage values
• Peak heating demand very dependent on air leakage63