airtightness

Problem analysis

Proposals for solutions in accordance with German standard DIN 4108 Teil 7 What does real life look like? What can actually be solved? Challenges, interface issues between the different trades and crafts, and possible suggestions for solutions.

Purpose of the work

Can the minimum air change in naturally window-ventilated units be covered only through leakages?

Content of the presentation

In general, the infiltration airflow rate is dependent on meteorological conditions, especially wind pressure on the building / unit, and with regard to thermal effects, the temperature differential between the interior and the exterior, i.e. the infiltration airflow varies strongly.

Content of the presentation

Purpose of the work

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.

AIVC Literature List 35 is linked to the topics of “building & ductwork airtightness”. The document is split into 3 main chapters including:

1. papers & slides presented at AIVC & TightVent Europe annual conferences and publications produced in collaboration with AIVC & TightVent Europe,
2. slides presented at workshops organized with the collaboration of AIVC, TightVent Europe & the QUALICHeCK platform, and
3. recordings from webinars organized with the collaboration AIVC, TightVent Europe & the QUALICHeCK platform.

Ventilation Information Paper no40 "Ductwork airtightness - A review", aims to complement Ventilation Information Paper VIP 01 “Airtightness of ventilation ducts”. It provides a literature review of the work performed since 2003 in the field of ductwork airtightness. Its objectives are to provide information on:

The building airtightness is essential to achieve a high energy performance. In most countries however, it is not mandatory to measure the airtightness. In the Netherlands it is common practice to just take a couple samples in a housing project. These samples do not give a good indication for all the buildings in a project. It is therefore important to measure the airtightness of all the buildings.

Upper floors of super-tall residential buildings have different characteristics of the exterior environment as compared to their low floors or low-rise residential buildings due to the high-rise. Upper floors are more affected by direct solar radiation due to the reduced number of adjacent shading buildings and by reflected solar radiation from rooftops. Super-tall buildings also have high level of airtightness because of higher wind speed with high-rise.