BUILDING ENCLOSURE AIR TIGHTNESS TESTING Course Number: BCLUNA018-01P

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1 BUILDING ENCLOSURE AIR TIGHTNESS TESTING Course Number: BCLUNA018-01P Provider Number: Darek Brandt, PE Chief Engineer, Building Science Solutions

2 AIA CES DISCLAIMER Credit(s) earned on completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-aia members are available upon request. This course is registered with AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation. 2

3 COPYRIGHT MATERIALS THIS PRESENTATION IS PROTECTED BY US AND INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAWS. REPRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, DISPLAY AND USE OF THE PRESENTATION WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE SPEAKER IS PROHIBITED. Intertek

4 Building Enclosure Air Tightness Testing Course Description Building air tightness testing has been used for many years to identify and quantify the air leakage through building envelopes of buildings. These testing techniques can be used for various purposes. Construction quality assurance can be performed using various test methods. Air leakage characteristics of a building can be used as a diagnostic tool when an older building experiences problems that may be related to air leakage. Energy codes have recognized the importance of envelope air leakage resistance and have become mandatory code requirements for the building envelope (ASHRAE , IECC 2012+, others). However, simple inclusion of control layers in the design documents does not guarantee performance or durability under field application conditions. Material, assembly and building air tightness impacts code compliance, building performance, and the performance of associated mechanical systems in the building. 4

5 Building Enclosure Air Tightness Testing Learning Objectives 1. What is an air barrier? 2. What is building enclosure air tightness and why is it important? 3. What air tightness requirements exist and how are buildings meeting them? 4. What are the test methods? 5. How well do specific systems perform? 5

6 Building Enclosure Air Tightness Testing Outline 1. Air Flow & Air Leakage 2. Impacts 3. Types of Air Barriers 4. Testing 5. Case Studies 6

7 Air Flow & Air Leakage Through Buildings

8 WHAT IS THE BUILDING ENCLOSURE/ENVELOPE? The building envelope is the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building. The building envelope provides resistance to air, water, heat, light and noise. The building envelope Provides weather, air, and thermal barriers. Components include 1) floors, 2) roofs, 3) walls, 4) windows/curtainwalls, 5) doors.

9 BUILDING ENVELOPE AIR LEAKAGE Building airtightness can be defined as the resistance to inward or outward air flow through unintentional leakage points or areas of the building envelope. 9

10 AIR FLOW For air flow to occur, there must be both: A pressure difference between two points A continuous flow path connecting the points 10

11 AIR FLOW Forces: Wind Stack Effect Mechanical Ventilation Systems 11

12 AIR FLOW Types of Air Flow: Orifice flow Permeation/Diffusion Channel flow 12

13 Impacts of Air Leakage

14 IMPACTS OF AIR LEAKAGE Consequences 14

15 IMPACTS OF AIR LEAKAGE Indoor Environment 15

16 IMPACTS OF AIR LEAKAGE Indoor Environment 16

17 IMPACTS OF AIR LEAKAGE Performance Problems Durability Many building components degrade more quickly with presence of moisture 17

18 IMPACTS OF AIR LEAKAGE Performance Problems Indoor Environment Increased airtightness must be combined with an appropriate ventilation system which minimizes pollutants and provide fresh air. 18

19 IMPACTS OF AIR LEAKAGE Performance Problems Energy Efficiency According to the United States Department of Energy, some 40 percent of energy of heating and cooling a building is lost by uncontrolled air leakage through the building envelope. 19

20 AIR LEAKAGE Energy Efficiency Credit: Journal of Building Enclosure Design Summer 2011 Improvement of Air Tightness in U.S. Army Buildings pgs

21 Types of Air Barriers

22 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers: Air Barriers are systems of materials designed and constructed to control airflow between a conditioned space and an unconditioned space. 22

23 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Membranes Sheathings Sealants Foams 23

24 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE 24

25 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Materials with air permeability cfm/ft 2 Compliant Materials Plywood 3/8 in. thick Oriented Strand Board 3/8 in. thick Extruded Insulation Board 1/2 in. thick Foil-back Insulation Board 1/2 in. thick Closed-cell spray foam (min. density of 1.5 pcf and thickness 1-1/2 in.) Open-cell spray foam with density pcf and thickness 4-1/2 in. Exterior or interior gypsum board 1/2 in. Cement board 1/2 in. Built-up roofing membrane Mod-bit roofing membrane Fully-adhered single-ply roofing membrane Portland cement/sand parge or gypsum plaster 3/8 in. thick Cast-in-place or precast concrete Fully grouted concrete block masonry Sheet steel or aluminum 25

26 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Able to withstand movement and air pressure differences 26

27 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Continuous over the entire building envelope 27

28 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Continuous over the entire building envelope 28

29 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE 29

30 Code Requirements & Testing

31 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE (IECC) (0.004 cfm/sq.ft at 1.57 psf) (0.04 cfm/sq.ft at 1.57 psf) (0.40cfm/sq.ft at 1.57 psf) 32

32 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Code Requirements 33

33 AIR LEAKAGE IN CODE: IECC, ASHRAE 90.1 (2016) Material Assembly Whole Building < cfm/ft2 75 Pa Material Only No detailing or transitions No impact of weather or site conditions OR < 0.04 cfm/ft2 75 Pa Simulated Window Detailing included No Interface details No impact of weather or site conditions OR <0.40 cfm/ft2 75 Pa Real Construction Detailing Included Transitions Included 34

34 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Test Methods and Performance Standards are: Material Based Assembly Based Building Based 35

35 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Material Based and Quantitative Performance ASTM E2178 Standard Test Method for Air Permeance of Building Materials 37

36 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance ASTM E2357 Standard Test Method for Air Leakage of Air Barrier Assemblies 38

37 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : ASTM D4541 (Modified) Standard Test Method for Pull-Off Strength of Coatings Using Portable Adhesion Tester 41

38 ASTM D4541 ADHESION TESTING 42

39 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Assembly Based and Qualitative Performance ASTM E1186 Air Leakage Site Detection in Building Envelopes and Air Barrier Systems 43

40 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Air Barriers : Assembly Based and Qualitative Performance ASTM E1186 Air Leakage Site Detection in Building Envelopes and Air Barrier Systems 44

41 ASTM E1186 (4.2.7) BUBBLE GUN 46

42 ASTM E1186 (4.2.7) BUBBLE GUN 47

43 ASTM E1186 (4.2.7) BUBBLE GUN 48

44 ASTM E1186 (4.2.7) BUBBLE GUN 49

45 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Fenestration : Windows, Doors, Skylights and Curtain Walls 50

46 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Fenestration : 51

47 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Fenestration : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance 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 52

48 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Fenestration : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance ASTM E783, Standard Test Method for Field Measurement of Air Leakage Through Installed Exterior Windows and Doors ASTM E783 - This Test method addresses the issue of air leakage through the high pressure face of the test specimen only. Air leakage from the adjacent wall cavity through sill, head, and jambs of the window frame is considered extraneous air leakage. Window Frame 54

49 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Fenestration : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance ASTM E2319 (MODIFIED FOR FIELD) Standard Test Method for Determining Air Flow Through the Face and Sides of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen Procedure 1. Interior & exterior perimeter seal must be installed 2. Tape or bag outside and tape inside (All Joints) 3. Record flow = tare (a) 4. Remove inside tape. Record flow = (b) tare + frame 5. (b - a) = frame (c) 6. Remove outside tape/bag. Record flow = (d) tare + frame + surface 7. (d - b) = (e) outside surface 8. (c + e) = Total Window 55

50 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Roof : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance ASTM E1680 Standard Test Method for Rate of Air Leakage through Exterior Metal Roof Panel System 65

51 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Whole Buildings: 66

52 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Building : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance ASTM E1827 Standard Test Method for Determining Airtightness of Buildings Using an Orifice Blower Door Single Point Method Multiple flow measurements near a single pressure Two-Point Method Multiple flow measurements near two pressures. ASTM E779 Standard Test Method for Determining Air Leakage Rate of Building by Fan Pressurization Multi Point Regression Method 67

53 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Building : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance USACE Air Leakage Test Protocol for Building Envelopes Test procedure/building preparation is more clearly defined than ASTM E779 Requires positive and negative pressurization sets Defines acceptable induced pressure range Does not allow data extrapolation (10 data points and must measure at 75 Pa) Defines acceptable ranges for correlation coefficient squared, r 2, and the pressure exponent, n Requires diagnostic procedures included in ASTM E1186 (Infrared and smoke tracers) to help determine air leakage sites. 68

54 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Building : ABAA Standard Method for Building Enclosure Airtightness Compliance Testing Evolution of ASTM E779 and ASTM E1827 due to shortcomings of the original standards Includes multipoint regression, single point, and two point methods. Will become a new ASTM standard, phasing out ASTM E

55 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Building : Typical Allowable Building Leakage Pa (IBC, GSA) Pa (USACE) Pa (State of Utah) 0.6 ACH at 50 Pa (Passive House) or 0.05 cfm/sf at 50 Pa 70

56 ASTM E779 WHOLE BUILDING AIR LEAKAGE TEST 71

57 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Building : Assembly Based and Quantitative Performance ASTM E779 Standard Test Method for Determining Air Leakage Rate by Fan Pressurization Multipoint Regression Method 72

58 PRODUCT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE 73

59 ASTM E1186 (4.2.1) INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY 74

60 ASTM E1186 (4.2.1) INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY 75

61 ASTM E1186 (4.2.6) SMOKE TRACER 76

62 ASTM E1186 (4.2.6) SMOKE TRACER 77

63 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS HVAC Excluded vs. Included HVAC Excluded Building Enclosure Area: 119,825 ft 2 Performance: cfm/ft 2 HVAC Included Building Enclosure Area: 119,825 ft 2 Performance: cfm/ft 2 Over 4,000 cfm of air leakage through dampers 81

64 Mechanically Fastened Air Barrier: Building Description: Two-Story Police Department Building Enclosure: Basis of Design Slab-on-Grade Air Control: Slab on Grade/Vapor Barrier Membrane Walls: Rain Screen Cladding, Fin Windows employed at punched wall openings. Air Control: Mechanically Fastened Membrane and Fenestration Roof Assembly: Vented Steep-Sloped Asphalt Shingle Roof Air Control: Second Floor Drywall Ceiling Building Enclosure Area: 37,036 ft 2 Performance: cfm/ft 2 *(extrapolated from 35 PA) 82

65 83

66 Mechanically Fastened Air Barrier: Building Description: Four-Story Apartment Building with Ground Floor Parking Space Building Enclosure: Basis of Design First Floor Slab/Slab-on-Grade Air Control: Concrete Slab Walls: Rain Screen Cladding, Aluminum Windows employed at punched wall openings. Air Control: Mechanically Fastened Membrane and Fenestration Roof Assembly: Vented Low-Sloped Built-up Roof supported by Wood Deck Air Control: Fourth Floor Drywall Ceiling Building Enclosure Area: 37,250 ft 2 Performance: cfm/ft 2 84

67 85

68 Spray Foam Air Barrier: Building Description: Three-Stories; with Offices, Lecture Halls, Classrooms, Auditorium Building Enclosure: Basis of Design Slab-on-Grade Air Control: Slab on Grade/Vapor Barrier Membrane Walls: Brick Cavity Wall, Aluminum Windows at punched wall openings, and portions of Curtain Wall. Air Control: Closed Cell Spray Foam in conjunction with Self-adhered Sheet and Fluid Applied Air Barrier Membranes at transitions, wall openings, penetrations, control joints, substrate transitions, etc. and Fenestration Roof Assembly: Fully Adhered Single-Ply Membrane supported by Concrete Deck Air Control: Concrete Deck/Single Ply Membrane. Building Enclosure Area: 216,300 ft 2 Performance: cfm/ft 2 * 86

69 REVIEW ASTM E779 ASTM E1186 ASTM E1186 ASTM E1186 ASTM E

70 Take Aways Air Barriers are essential to a high performance building enclosure There are many different systems/methods The performance verification of materials, assemblies and whole buildings helps to ensure quality control during the design and construction process 88

71 QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION Darek Brandt, PE - Chief Engineer Building Science Solutions darek.brandt@psiusa.com Phone:

72 This concludes The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems Course Darek Brandt, PE - Chief Engineer Building Science Solutions darek.brandt@psiusa.com Phone: