Energy efficient steel buildings with better thermal insulation to reduce transmission losses are now being built in Sweden. Examples of structural design are given to minimise the influence of thermal bridges. A method for the calculation of such heat losses is presented. Principles for airtightness to reduce air leakage of buildings are discussed, special details and material requirements are given.
Presents four short articles treating aspects of building ventilation: 1) Achieving a balance - the work of the AIC, 2) House full of horrors - indoor air pollution and progress in eradicating hazards, 3) Letting off steam - test houses with ventilation system for condensation control, and 4) High and dry - condensation in the roof, eaves to eaves ridge ventilation.
Reviews ways of reducing energy loss due to infiltration while maintaining air quality. Results from existing houses are presented. Describes a method to reduce the average air flow coefficients of the envelope to minimum required values and to determine the heat criteria of various ventilation systems.
Sixty houses built with widely different construction practices and located in different areas in upstate New York were monitored for airtightness (using fan pressurization) and integrated radon concentrations in indoor air, household water,
Several different ratings of building airtightness are used to report the results of fan pressurization tests. These are generally based on airflow rates at specific reference pressures, predicted by curve fits to the test data. The statistical
This study examines the experimental determination of the apparent net formaldehyde source strength in a group of sixteen nominally identical wood frame houses built by one contractor using similar construction details and materials. The houses
A major cooperative study of the effect of ventilation of timber flat (cold) roofs on combatting condensation and moisture accumulation has been undertaken in Denmark. Field measurements of moisture content in a number of test roofs over long periods and under different conditions are evaluated and conclusions drawn. They include the advice that, where moisture accumulation is a problem, it can be aggravated if roof vents are installed.
Efforts to reduce the energy needs to heat or cool dwellings have the potential to create new health hazards. Increases in indoor levels of radon and its progeny from the reduction in air exchange rates add a substantial radioactive burden to the general population. Other indoor pollutants reaching critical concentrations in homes with low air exchange rates are CO and NO2 from unvented combustion in gas stoves and heaters, tobacco smoke, and asbestos fibres.
The expectation of elevated 222Rn levels in modern homes that have low air interchange rates with the outdoor air led to a survey of both conventional and solar homes in northeastern New York State. As a group, homes that are more airtight ha
The aerodynamic forces affecting wind and rain penetration of roofs are described. They are: 1 the wind and its turbulent nature, 2 the induced pressure field, 3 the air flows in contact with the roof and 4 the characteristics of the roof (internal pressure, permeability, structure, etc).
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